Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church and Rosenwald School, Historic church and school complex in Notasulga, Alabama.
Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church and Rosenwald School stands near 7794 Alabama State Route 81, about 8 miles north of Tuskegee. The 1919 gable-front frame church has a frame bell tower facing the highway and vinyl siding added around 1990. The former Rosenwald School, built around 1922 and remodeled around 1936, sits on the same property beside a cemetery.
The church was built in 1919 as a gable-front frame building with a bell tower; its interior keeps c. 1916 painted graining on doors, pews and wainscoting. The Rosenwald School, built c. 1922 and remodeled c. 1936 with New Deal aid, served African American students under segregation. Both buildings and the cemetery were listed on the Alabama Register on September 20, 2006, and on the National Register on August 6, 2010.
The church's interior preserves its original 1916 details, including hand-painted doors, pews, and wood trim that show the craftsmanship of the local African American community. These decorative elements reveal how much care people put into their gathering place.
The property sits near 7794 Alabama State Route 81, about 8 miles north of Tuskegee, with the church and school standing beside an adjacent cemetery. Both buildings are visible from the highway; the church's frame bell tower marks the spot along the road. The school was undergoing renovation as of February 2011, so interior access may be limited.
The site served as a gathering place for the community during the U.S. Public Health Service Syphilis Study conducted in Macon County from 1932 to 1973. This medical study remains a significant part of the area's history and how the community remembers its past.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,885 contributors worldwide.