MT. ZION ROSENWALD SCHOOL

The Mt. Zion United Methodist Church Preservation committee received a $5,000 grant from the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation for their effort to preserve Mt. Zion Rosenwald School, one of over 5,000 built by the Julius Rosenwald Foundation to educate African American children in the South.

The Rosenwald School, built in 1925, was the first public school for African American students in the Mars Bluff community. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina in 1999. It has received national and state recognition for its restoration efforts.

Francis Marion University has assisted in coordinating with the church preservation committee to help preserve this local cultural history. The grant will be used to paint the school and make minor repairs to the exterior. This is the second grant approved for this project by Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation.

When completed, the school will be used as a community center and will outreach to senior citizens and children.

The school is a rectangular frame building with tall exterior windows designed to take advantage of the climate and available light. It is located at 5040 Liberty Chapel Road.