Webb Alumni Celebrate School’s National Historic Placement

McKENZIE (July 20) — The Webb Alumni Association hosted a ribbon-cutting Saturday to celebrate Webb Public School’s placement on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior.

Many former students, teachers, family members thereof and other supporters came from near and far to witness the unveiling of a plaque and acknowledge the decades of tireless work by multiple generations that made the achievement possible.

Alumni Chaplain and Huntingdon Chapter President JD Williams opened the event with a blessing, and Alumni National President Neal Williamson welcomed all. He called the historic placement “an honor for Webb, for McKenzie, for Carroll County and for the state of Tennessee.

Webb Museum educator Ike Gilbert gave a brief history of Webb School and the Alumni Association, and Alumni member Bertha Taylor recognized special guests McKenzie Mayor Ryan Griffin, former Mayor Jill Holland, Carroll County Chamber President Brad Hurley and Dr. Hugh and LaRenda Scarborough.

Mayor Griffin said it was “an honor” to be there and thanked “those who have traveled here to the greatest city in Tennessee.” To the alumni, he said, “We celebrate with you, and we’re so thankful… Congratulations.”

The plaque denoting the school’s historic placement was unveiled and the ribbon was cut.

Several individual Webb alumni were recognized and presented with plaques: Historic Preservation Planner Jessica Baker, the late Clarence Norman, Ike Gilbert, Neal Williamson, museum curator John Archie Nolen, museum Director Mary Luter Jordan, Daisy Dudley and Charles Scates. (Baker and Nolen were unable to attend; Norman and Nolen’s plaques were accepted by family members.)

Dudley and Scates were teachers at Webb and will be the first featured on a new Alumni project, the Teacher’s Wall.

Guests enjoyed refreshments, fellowship and exploring the vast collection of artifacts on display in the school and museum.

According to the nomination form, written by Jessica Baker, the description of Webb School states, “The Webb School building sits on 15.1 acres and was constructed in 1958 in the Modern Movement style…The Webb School was moved to this property in 1937 after the other school building in town burned in 1936. The 1937 building was later torn down due to deterioration and the current building was constructed in 1958. The current school gained historical significance from 1958-1966, when it served as a school for local African American students, grades one through twelve. This school was also the only high school for African American students in Carroll County. The school was later desegregated in 1966, however the building continues to be maintained in its current historic state and is used for a variety of community needs.”

Webb School currently houses Northwest Tennessee Head Start, the Webb Historical Museum and the after-school and summer program “Two Sisters and a Book.”