Near Aberdeen in Monroe County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
Sandy Clay Rosenwald School
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 21, 2026
1. Sandy Clay Rosenwald School Marker
Sandy Clay Rosenwald School was built on Bedford Road near Highway 25 South in 1930 by the local African American community with assistance from philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, who was inspired by Booker T. Washington. It replaced a school that had originally been established in 1878 as part of Mount Union Missionary Baptist Church. Sandy Clay (1863-1925), who was born into slavery, became a farmer and a community leader. The school was located one mile from the current location of Mount Union Missionary Baptist Church.
Erected 2025 by Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Mississippi State Historical Marker Program, and the Rosenwald Schools series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1930.
Location. 33° 44.776′ N, 88° 38.44′ W. Marker is near Aberdeen, Mississippi, in Monroe County. It is on Mississippi Route 25 0.7 miles south of Homestead Road, on the right when traveling south. Located at the
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in East Mississippi, specifically in the Black Prairie, in the Golden Triangle, and in the North Mississippi Hills. It is also 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 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, measured as the crow flies: The Lenoir Plantation (approx. 2˝ miles away); Gulf Ordnance Plant (approx. 3.7 miles away); Prairie (approx. 3.8 miles away); Payne Field Site (approx. 6.6 miles away); Brigadier General John Gregg (approx. 7.3 miles away); Reuben Davis (approx. 7.3 miles away); Judge Eugene O. Sykes (approx. 7.4 miles away); Aberdeen (approx. 7˝ miles away). Touch for a list and map
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 21, 2026
2. Sandy Clay Rosenwald School Marker at Mt Union Missionary Baptist Church.
Also see . . . Aberdeen residents come together for Sandy Clay Rosenwald marker unveiling. (YT Video). (Submitted on October 21, 2026, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 21, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 21, 2026, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 21, 2026, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
