Exhibit, panel planned as segregation-era Lee-Buckner School readies for Franklin move

A new photography exhibit and roundtable discussion is being planned as the last remaining Rosenwald School in Williamson County prepares to move to its new Franklin home next month.

Created between 1917-1932, the Lee-Buckner School served more than 50 kids before it was closed at the end of segregation in 1965. It was one of 24 such schools in Williamson County and housed grades 1-8 after its opening in 1927, historians say.

Since its closure, the school sat abandoned in an isolated Spring Hill location.

“We learned about Lee-Buckner in 2018, and immediately knew we had to do everything possible to save this remarkable piece of history. Now it can become a destination that’s easily accessible to the public so generations to come can learn from it,” said Bari Beasley, president and CEO of the Williamson County Heritage Foundation, which is incorporating the school into its new Franklin Grove project on the site of the former O'More College of Design.

“Over the years, I have frequently been moved to tears hearing testimonials from former students about how this school changed their lives. I can’t wait for the schoolhouse to become part of our community, and for stories about this historic cultural destination to be heard by audiences across the country.”

Named after Julius Rosenwald, chief executive officer of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and created with the help of Booker T. Washington, schools like Lee-Buckner served Black populations across the Southern states during segregation.

The Heritage Foundation has been working with former students, Black community leaders, historians, preservationists, architects and engineers to capture oral histories from Lee-Buckner, stabilize the building and plan for its restoration.

Plans call for the historic schoolhouse to be moved very carefully in the early-morning hours of Feb. 2, by way of tractor trailer. The Heritage Foundation has arranged for a former student to ride with the schoolhouse to its new home in a symbolic and transformative moment, officials said.

Prior to the move, The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County is planning to host a special event at The Franklin Theatre, 419 Main Street, unveiling a temporary photograph exhibit, Building Community, Leaving A Legacy: Lee-Buckner Rosenwald School Oral Histories and Photographs.

The Feb. 2 event will include a roundtable conversation with school alumni and the Heritage Foundation's preservation team.

It starts at 6 p.m. and is free to attend.

For more information about Lee-Buckner or the Heritage Foundation, visit williamsonheritage.org.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Exhibit, panel on 19th century schoolhouse set ahead of Franklin move