Pine Apple in Wilcox County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
G. W. Watts High School
Wilcox County
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, March 28, 2026
1. G. w. Watts High School Marker
George William Watts led community efforts to establish a school for Black children in Pine Apple. The first school was held in G. W. Watts Masonic Hall. Later, Tom and Bertha Adams donated land to build a permanent school for Black students. The Pine Apple community raised funds to build and maintain the school which housed first through sixth grades and later, junior high. Professor G. W. Watts served as the first principal. On February 1. 1939. Watts Lodge No. 724 A.F. & A.M. of Alabama deeded the land where the school stood to the State of Alabama for the Pine Apple Colored School. George W. Watts, Worshipful Master: Al Carter, Senior Warden: and H.D. Taylor, Junior Warden led this effort. In the 1940s, a high school was added, and Dr. Robert L. Preyer served as principal of the high school. In 1962, the high school moved to its present location and was named W. J. Jones High School after Superintendent William J. Jones. In 1993, it was renamed G. W. Watts School in honor of George W. Watts, the founder of the first school for Blacks in Pine Apple. G. W. Watts School closed in 2012 due to decreased student enrollment.
this page online
Erected by Pine Apple/WJ Jones Alumni Association, Inc. and AHC.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations. A significant historical year for this entry is 1962.
Location. 31° 54.792′ N, 87° 0.072′ W. Marker is in Pine Apple, Alabama, in Wilcox County. It is on Freedom Farm Road (County Road 59) south of Allenton Road, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2573 Freedom Farm Road, Pine Apple AL 36768, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Black Belt. 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 New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker,
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, March 28, 2026
2. G. W. Watts High School Marker
Marker and old school
More about this marker. The marker states it was erected in 2021 but it was not actually installed until September 2025.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 31, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 29, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. This page has been viewed 28 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 29, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
