Attapulgus High School
Attapulgus, Decatur County, Georgia
Marker Inscription
Attapulgus High School. A male academy was established in Attapulgus in 1836 and a female academy in 1852. A four-room frame building was built on the site after establishment of public education in Georgia in 1872. In 1921 Mariola School joined Attapulgus and a frame stucco building of eight rooms was built. It burned in 1922. In 1925 Amsterdam School merged with Attapulgus and an eight room brick building was built. In 1933 the locals provided materials and the WPA provided labor to build "THE SHELL", a gymnasium. Later an AG building, classrooms and a lunch room were added.(Continued on other side) Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission Alumni of Attapulgus School and the Decatur County Historical Society, 2005. ATTAPULGUS HIGH SCHOOL (Continued from other side). With county consolidation, the High School was moved to Bainbridge in 1966 and the elementary grades in 1971. In 1972 a tornado badly damaged the main building and destroyed the gymnasium and AG building. The County Board declared the property surplus and sold it to Attapulgus Baptist Church in 1973. With dedicated teachers, an excellent curriculum was taught. When the Attapulgus School closed, all teachers held masters degrees or better. Many of the school's graduates went on to higher education, performing as well or better than those from larger schools. Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission Alumni of Attapulgus School and the Decatur County Historical Society, 2005.
Erected by Historic Chattahoochee Commission
The Story
Education in Attapulgus began with a male academy in 1836 and a female academy in 1852, evolving after 1872 into a public school that grew through mergers with the Mariola and Amsterdam schools. A succession of buildings rose and fell—one burning in 1922, another erected in brick in 1925—and in 1933 local citizens supplied materials while the WPA provided labor to build "The Shell" gymnasium. County consolidation moved the high school to Bainbridge in 1966 and closed the school entirely by the early 1970s.
Why it matters
The school's century-long arc—from private academies to a New Deal-built gym to consolidation—mirrors the whole trajectory of public education in the rural American South.
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Related events
- · Works Progress Administration
Themes & tags
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