Stroop School, 1881-1918

STROOP SCHOOL 1881-1918 was between the Hall’s Hill and Milton Roads. It was north of Trimble Road at the southwest intersection of Hudson and Overall Roads and near the Jones and Vaught Cemeteries.

On September 7, 1881, James Landrum Stroop deeded 132 poles of land to School Directors J. Williams, D. Sneed, and S. P. McKnight for a white school.

When the school closed, the land was to revert to the grantor but the improvements were to go to the directors. The school lot was bounded by J. L. Stroop, Elizabeth Worde, and Vaught. The name of J. L. Stroop is on the 1878 Beers Map.

The school was a one-room building for one teacher. It had steps to the door, a pot-bellied stove, and a pump for water in the yard.

Jacob Landrurn Stroop may have been the first teacher. Others were Mrs. Henry Todd, Beulah McKnight, Mrs. Ersie Weatherly, who taught two separate times, Alice Craddock, Gordon Thomas, Mildred Dement Smith, Ernest Rion, Maggie Kerr, Lucile Huddleston, and Roberta Gleaves.

Early students besides those in the 1898 picture included Mary Floyd Neely, Gutha Williams, Alline Stroop Vaught, Will Overall, b. March 18, 1884, and Selma Hudson Overall, b. Aug. 30, 1889.

The school closed about 1918. Students in the area then went to HALL’S HILL SCHOOL. The building was torn down two or three years after the school closed.

SOURCES: Deed Book 33, p. 51. Interviews, Feb. 22, 1978, with Lady Stroop and Mary Floyd Neely by Hector F. Adams; March 1984, with Nell McElroy; March 21, 1984, with Audie Overall Tarpley, daughter of Will and Selma Hudson Overall; March 21, 1984, with Winnie Lee Stroop Williamson, daughter of Landrum Stroop and a student from c 1916-1920; April 14, 1984, with Homer Stroop, grandson of Jacob Landrum Stroop; March 2, 1985,
with J. W. “Bob” Kerr. *Mary McKnight Manley, student.

Comments are closed.