Europe Bates School

Erected in 1930 on four acres, the Europe Bates School for Black children once stood at this site on land donated by the family of Howard Bates Sr. A three-teacher school, it was named for Europe Bates, who was born as an enslaved person in Amite County in 1831. Construction cost $3,375 and was funded by contributions from the local community and the Julius Rosenwald Fund. In all, more than 5,000 Rosenwald schools were built in collaboration with Booker T. Washington. The school closed in 1964.