Flat Rock
On the occasion of its Bicentennial, Morgan County placed this marker here to commemorate the community of
FLAT ROCK
Identified with the Flat Rock Church and School that existed in the early 20th century, Flat Rock has African American roots that extend back many generations. This area located around present-day Bostwick Highway, Sandy Creek Road, and Nolan Store Road in the Harris Militia District, has long had an agricultural character, which included the cultivation of cotton, livestock, and fruit and nut orchards. African Americans were essential to the success of the agrarian economy, and as the economy thrived, so did these communities.
Prior to the organization of Flat Rock, several schools and churches served the African American communities in this area. By 1894, there were two schools for African American children: Brooks Chapel and Holland Springs, which existed until around 1928 and 1957, respectively. Brooks Chapel appears to have served as a school and a church, as the remnants of a damaged cemetery have been identified near the intersection of Bostwick Highway and Sandy Creek Road.
Flat Rock Church was organized around 1896. According to church history, the original building was located near a large flat rock on the banks of Sandy Creek. After a fire destroyed the original building, the church was relocated to its present site c. 1910. By 1932, existing records place Flat Rock School at the same location as Flat Rock Church, in existence until at least 1957. Attendance registers for Flat Rock School often listed farm work as the predominant reason for absenteeism.
BECAUSE OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO TAKE PRIDE IN THIS COMMUNITY,
FLAT ROCK IS RECOGNIZED AS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR COUNTY HISTORY
Plaque courtesy Lat34North.com.
Original page, with additional info, here.
Photo credit: Byron Hooks of Lat34North.com.