Somerville in Morgan County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

St. John Elementary School

Morgan County

— Est. 1901 —

St. John Elementary School Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, August 23, 2026

1. St. John Elementary School Marker

Inscription.
St. John Elementary School served approximately 40 African American children in grades pre-primer through sixth, located in Bluff City, an African American settlement rich in cultural heritage and community resilience. The school began in St. John Missionary Baptist Church as early as 1901, before moving to a one-room frame building known affectionately as "The New School." The 1930 Morgan County School Board minutes included teachers Ms. Lura Mae Basham and Ms. Allie Lee Draper, both remembered for their dedication and service. St. John constructed Plan No. 1 in the Community School Plans Bulletin No. 3, issued by the Rosenwald Fund in Nashville, Tennessee (1924).

(Reverse Side)
Alumni Families Honored: Romine • Russell • Black • Burton • Gill • Gurley • Davis • Jackson • Draper • Julian • Emerson • Key • Foster • McDaniel • Gaines • Middleton • Orr • Spraggins • Stewart • Thompson • Weeden • Winton Listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on March 24, 2022

Erected 2026 by Senator Arthur Orr; Landers McLarty Nissan; Mercedes-Benz of Huntsville; Kidz Table, Inc.

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Founder Lynette Burton, Board Members David Duffy, Walter Rooks, and Dr. Ernst Gebert; Mr. and Mrs Frank Oates; and 1988 School Trustees Curtis Burton, Sr., and the Late Michael Burton, Sr., Alabama Historical Commission and Black Heritage Council.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1901.

Location. 34° 31.154′ N, 86° 47.405′ W. Marker is in Somerville, Alabama, in Morgan County. It is on Terry Lane 0.1 miles east of Bluff City Road, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 49 Terry Ln, Somerville AL 35670, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. 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 original Cherokee Nation,

the territory

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, August 23, 2026

2. St. John Elementary School Marker

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 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Somerville, Alabama (approx. 3.2 miles away); First Permanent Court House, Morgan County (approx. 3.2 miles away); Triana, Alabama (approx. 5½ miles away); Rebirth of Triana, Alabama (approx. 5½ miles away); USS San Jose (AFS-7)Anchors / BOFORS TWIN 40mm Anti-Aircraft Gun (approx. 5.7 miles away); The Huey Helicopter (approx. 5.7 miles away); United States Marines (approx. 5.7 miles away); United States Army (approx. 5.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Somerville.

More about this marker. The school burned February 11, 2026. The marker was dedicated April 3, 2026.

St. John Elementary School Marker and ruins image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, August 23, 2026

3. St. John Elementary School Marker and ruins

St. John Elementary School Steps image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, August 23, 2026

4. St. John Elementary School Steps

Credits. This page was last revised on August 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 25, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 25, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.