ONE MILE south of the square, along South Shepherd Street in Winchester, stands one of the most historic buildings in the county. What is known to many as Townsend School was first constructed in the 1930s.
After some additions over the years, the school acted as an elementary school and high school
for African American students, served as a community hub for the African American community, and also housed the county’s board of education.
Today, the building continues to serve the community and offer a wealth of African American history in the form of the Townsend Cultural Center.
An act of preservation
In 2018, Townsend alumni and Franklin County resident Ed Hill was made aware that the school building was potentially going to be sold. Taking notice of the historical significance of the building, Hill made contact with former Townsend students and informed them of the possible sale of the building. A few of the contacts were former students and local residents, Karen Morris, Patricia Nimox, and Sylvia Hill. Morris stated that when Hill contacted them, a group of former students came together and set the wheels in motion to preserve the building that meant so much to them.
“He began to call people and build interest to see what we could do about saving the building,” explained Morris. “So we came up with the Townsend Cultural Center. The information we found on Anderson Townsend and the history of this school was amazing. We were looking to procure and preserve the rich history of not only Townsend school, but the educational process that black children went through in Franklin County. We felt that it was worth saving.”
A board of directors was also formed, and the group put out the word to former students to submit any photos or documents they had of Townsend School over the years. They also teamed up with the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Center for Historic Preservation.
“We started out by contacting the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation, and they worked with us helping to delve into the history of the school. The response from former students was also good. We were told that it would take five to six years to get it going, but once we got it started and people trusted us enough to copy photos and get them back to them, we began to take off.”
About “Doc”
The most important character in this whole story of Townsend school is its namesake, “Doc” Anderson Townsend.
According to MTSU Center for Historic Preservation, Anderson was a United States veteran of the Civil War, educator, and local preacher who lived much of his life in Winchester. He had a huge impact on Winchester and Franklin County’s education system. Commonly referred to as “Doc” or D.A. Townsend, he was born enslaved in Franklin County in September 1848.
According to the preservation center, Townsend
ran away and enlisted in the United States Army in Huntsville. At the time of his discharge in 1866, he’d been promoted to 1st Sgt.15. After his discharge, Townsend entered the Nashville Normal and Bible/Theological Institute. He returned to Winchester in 1869 and began teaching. Townsend taught school throughout the county until he retired in 1919. During his nearly 50-year tenure as an educator, Townsend taught hundreds of students and also advocated for better education and better school facilities for African American children in Franklin County. As a local education leader, he also played a major role in county institutes for African American teachers where they obtained training, certification, and networked with other educators.
After his retirement, he played a large role, along with other local African American leaders, in securing support for the construction of what would become Townsend. The building was finished about one year before Townsend passed in December 1927, according to The Center.
The Center
The Center houses pictures, documents, and other historical memorabilia of the school that has been donated f rom the public. The museum leads you through the history of the school with displays of the state championship football team, women’s and men’s basketball teams, and the school’s all- female drum corps that Morris said drew attention wherever they played.
The museum also displays items from a period of time that the school was used as a training school where students were taught to quilt, use farm tools, and more. Also, as a training school, the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation stated that, as was the tradition with African American school buildings, the school also served as a community building where plays, fundraisers, and even funerals were held.”
The future
The building continues to serve as a hub for the community, offering a variety of services and activities just as it has in the past.
“The cafeteria is used as a multipurpose room where conferences, birthday parties, anniversaries, and various other get-togethers are held,” said Morris. “We hosted a STEM program over the summer. We also held an ‘Art for the Sake of the Community’ event where children were able to come in and paint Christmas ornaments. It’s really taken off.”
The Center has also received grants that will help them to expand their offering to the public.
“It’s growing, and we’re loving this TownsendCultural Center,” said Morris. “I hope that it will thrive, and people will continue to use The Center for events. I hope that one day we will sponsor the chamber mixer that the city has. I want people to see it as an integral part of Franklin County’s history. I hope that people who never knew where Townsend was will come through here and be slightly amazed by all the history that is here.”GN
