Searcy School House / Searcy Community

Searcy School House, also, Searcy Community. . Searcy School House was built in 1922, six miles north of Greenville, Alabama. This historic building is one of the few original wood-frame school houses remaining in Butler County. Considered state of the art for its day, it was built by men of the community to replace an earlier school that was consolidated with two other schools. Fondly called the “Little Red School House," Searcy's original one-room school was established by Professor Isaac Ernest Ward in 1885. Ward (1861-1929) was a revered educator and community leader. He served as County Superintendent of Education, 1890-1898, and was principal of Searcy School for many years. His high educational standards made Searcy one of the best rural schools in Butler County. The school was the heart of the community, a focal point for literary and musical events, spelling bees, speaking and debating events, plays, parties and holiday programs. The school closed in 1949 due to dwindling student population. The school house was acquired by the Searcy Homemakers Club, who maintain it today for club activities., The Searcy community was settled in the late 1800s, named for James Riley Searcy who was postmaster in 1885 and also a constable. merchant and farmer. The community was originally called "Searcy Station" as it grew up around a depot on the Louisville and Nashville railroad between Montgomery and Mobile. With Professor Ward's outstanding school as a focal point and the railroad providing a major transportation link for the area, Searcy prospered and drew more residents. A number of families moved from the Fort Dale and Dead Fall communities, a short distance away on the Federal Road (Alabama Hwy 185). to be near Searcy School and the railroad. Families who settled here included Cates. Barganier, Day. Harrison, Heaton, Henderson, Hinson, Martin, Mosley. Mullins and Porterfield. Many of these families remain in the area today. The Cates farm, in the same family for more than 200 years, has been recognized as an Alabama Bicentennial Farm and the Sanders/Barganier farm, in the same family for more than 100 years, has been designated an Alabama Century Farm.