The Bull Swamp Baptist Church and community celebrated the Dedication and Open House of the Bull Swamp Colored School Preservation and Community Center Project – Phase I on Sunday, July 27, 2025. The historic event was held on the church grounds at 112 Purity Street, land purchased by formerly enslaved members in 1867.
Originally built in 1936 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s WPA program, the three-classroom Bull Swamp Colored School served as a cornerstone for education, jobs, and skills training for African Americans during segregation. In 1959, it was deeded to the church to serve as a community center.
Mrs. Julia Mae Benjamin Carson, 95, a retired teacher and school alumna, praised the effort: “Small beginnings make big endings. You are making my dream come true.”
Phase I of the preservation project restored the original
