De Soto in Clarke County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
St. John Church and School
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 23, 2025
1. St. John Church and School Marker
Established just prior to the Civil War. St. John became part of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, which was organized in 1870, and later joined the United Methodist Church. St. John also served as a school for African American children in the DeSoto community. The school employed one teacher, who taught primary and middle school classes. In later years, students attended Shirley Owens High School before the integration of the Quitman Consolidated School District.
Erected 2023 by Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.
Location. 31° 57.817′ N, 88° 43.312′ W. Marker is in De Soto, Mississippi, in Clarke County. It is on County Road 262 east of High Street (State Route 145), on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 29 Co Rd 262 39360, Shubuta MS 39360, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in East Mississippi. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 7 other markers are within 13 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Clarke County War Memorial (approx. 5.3 miles away); Clarke County Confederate Soldiers Monument (approx. 5.3 miles away); Shirley-Owens Memorial Park
this page online
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 23, 2025
2. St. John Church and Marker
Marker is on right of church.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 23, 2025
3. St. John Church and School
Credits. This page was last revised on October 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 25, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 56 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 25, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
