Schools: Phillips School, 2000, Winn Parish, LA Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** From: A History of the Phillips School, by Stafford Davis In 1918, an abandoned building near the Verda area was torn down, moved, and reconstructed on the present day site to become the Phillips Schoolhouse. The Phillips School was not your typical elementary school of today. It was founded on the principle that education would improve your life and your total existence. It was a state accredited one-room school with a wood burning heater and kerosene lamps, where the teacher was also the school's principal. It was the first and only African-American school in the Emden Community. Prior to this, school was held in the New Bethlehem Baptist Church. The school year was from October to February, which allowed the children to be at home when needed for family farm duties. There was only one teacher at a time for each school term and one grade at a time was taught while the other children studied. Even though only one teacher was available occasionally, an older student would oversee a lower grade. All grades would have class each day. Classes consisted of the "3 R's, Reading, Riting, and Rithmetic." Spelling, geography, and arithmetic were taught daily with health class on Fridays. There was a book for each one. Sometimes classes were alternated. To teach personal development items such as table manners and telephone use and etiquette although there were not telephones in the community! Mrs. Beatrice Ball would tell her students, "these are things you will need to know in the future." The students walked to and from school, the ones from Wheeling had to cross two creeks by walking over a large tree, which were cut to serve as bridges. There were days when lunches were lost to the creek. In the late 1930s the men of the community built a small kitchen for the school. To buy the school's kitchen utensils, community mothers donated their time and food, made and sold candy and box suppers in the community. With Mrs. Ball's assistance and the older girls cooking, they were able to have a hot meal. Meals were mostly beans and rice, commodities supplied by the State of Louisiana. However students had to purchase their milk at 6 cents per day. This school also provided the community with entertainment. Having what was referred to at the time as "programs". But in fact, they were dramatic plays where the students were the actors. The school was blessed with well-educated teachers whose main concern was for the students to receive a well-rounded education, despite the fact of receiving only used books frequently having torn and missing pages. When pages were missing the teacher would do her own version of the story to complete it for the students. Mrs. Dessarine Phillips-Smith recalls her first new book as being a history book, which she received after World War II, when she was a junior in high school. The school's benefactors, William "Bill" and Francis Phillips were the parents of nine children: General Lee, Eliza, Isabella, Arlevia, Emanuel, William Jr., Napoleon Alexander, Raymond, and Lisbon. They were also very community and civic minded people. Both were born during slavery in America. In their lifetimes, in addition to being loving, caring parents, they also became community leaders as well as major landowners. She was a Deaconess and he was a Deacon, blacksmith, and dentist. In 1908, they donated approximately two acres of land to build a school and church for the African American community. The Phillips School was constructed after the New Bethlehem Baptist Church. Today they both stand on their original site of construction. The New Bethlehem Church has been continuously active since it's construction. Mr. Morell Fobbs has profound memories of helping with the rebuilding of the Phillips Schoolhouse. Although he was a very young lad at that time he pulled nails form boards and performed other small tasks to assist in the construction. As time passed another duty he acquired was to walk the teacher to the "doodle bug" (train) which ran from Winnfield to Aloha and back to Winnfield. It stopped at the Emden crossing approximately one mile form the Phillips School. Among the first Phillips School board members were Jack Fobbs, Jack Sapp, and William "Bill" Phillips. The 1954-1955 school year ended and along with it the operation of the Phillips School. Due to integration, school could no longer be held in the building. The school board donated the land to the Emden Community. The Phillips School operated for 37 years in this building (1918-1955) with enrollment in 1920 of 80+ students in this one room school. Given an average enrollment of 50 students per school session it educated approximately 1,850 people form the African American community. The donation of their time, materials and the land for the Phillips School and the New Bethlehem Baptist Church, only begin to show Bill and Francis Phillips' tireless devotion. They were very concerned about the condition of their fellow man. All former students expressed great pride in the Phillips School education they received. Many of the former students continued their education in trade schools, colleges, and became professionals in various fields. The hard work of several former students, family members, and a former teacher, Mrs. Lula Mae Thomas was rewarded on February 10, 2000, when the Phillips School was given its correct place in American history by being placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This building, having historic and sentimental value as well as great memories, also stands as a monument to FREE WILL, an example of what people working together can do, even if they come from very adverse conditions. Students were of the following families: Carter, Crawford, Crenshaw, Fobbs, Ford, Harrell, Hayes, Henry, Houston, Howard, Hunt, Johnson, London, Mathis, McCain, McMillion, McWright, Morgan, Mosley, Peats, Pennywell, Phillips, Rodgers, Sapp, Shelton, Smith, Stanley, Starks, Walker, Watkins, Willis, and Wilson. Teacher List: Mrs. Beatrice Ball (husband Joe Ball) Ms. Dora Robinson Ms. Ollie L. Morgan Ms. Maude Peats Ms. Margaretta Harris Rev. J. E. Hunt (did not pastor New Bethlehem Baptist Church) Rev. H. L. Thomas (did not pastor New Bethlehem Baptist Church) Professor Casey (female) Ms. Winnie Blackwood Ms. Mary Jane Cunningham Ms. Alberta Swafford (daughter of Ed Swafford) Ms. Mary Jane Ms. Doris Brown Ms. Melviney Blackwood Mrs. Ina Mae Winslow Fobbs (husband Morell Fobbs) Mrs. Lula Mae Howard Thomas (husband Roosevelt Thomas)