Classrooms at Old School in Demopolis to be restored thanks to Alabama Historical Commission grant

Four classrooms in the Old School in Demopolis will be restored thanks to a grant from the Alabama Historical Commission.

Kirk Brooker of the Marengo County Historical Society told the Demopolis City Council at their July 1 meeting that the Friends of the Old School received a $72,864 grant to restore four classrooms on the east elevation, two classrooms on the main floor and two on the top floor.

Grant funds will be used to restore original pine floors, repair and paint plaster walls, and repair and paint original tongue-and-groove ceilings. “In addition, long-covered windows will be restored, once again flooding each classroom with natural light,” according to a news release from the Friends of the Old School made available after the meeting.

One of the four classrooms will be dedicated as a community classroom named in memory of Burnquetta Johnson, “a beloved teacher that left an indelible mark on generations of Demopolis' students,” the release states. In 1967, Johnson was the first Black teacher at the Old School, which was the first school to be integrated in Demopolis. Johnson continued to teach in the Demopolis system until her retirement in 2004.

The grant from the Alabama Historical Commission’s 2025 Grant Program is funded by the State Legislature for improvements and educational programming at historic sites in Alabama.

Demopolis Mayor Woody Collins told Brooker that money to repair the roof is included in the capital budget for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. He said it will cost about $225,000 to restore the roof of the 100-year-old building on South Main Avenue.

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Efforts to use the Old School as a culture and arts center started in earnest after a plan to develop the school into apartments narrowly failed last fall.

Friends of the Old School was created “to preserve and promote the historical integrity of the Old School through community engagement, fundraising and educational initiatives, ensuring its legacy as a valuable cultural asset for generations to come,” the release states.

The organization includes representatives of the Canebrake Players, Two Rivers Arts Council, Marengo County Historical Society, Marengo County History and Archives Museum, and neighboring residents.

For the past several months, volunteers from each of these organizations and the neighborhood have been working to raise awareness and funds, Brooker said. Committees were set up, including one to establish a nonprofit, one to apply for grants, one to plan fundraising events, one to contact potential donors and one to create an alumni directory, according to the news release.

You can follow progress on the Friends of the Old School Facebook page and/or email theoldschoolfriends@yahoo.com.