Emory School, also known as the Tunstall School, is a historic Rosenwald School building located in rural Hale County, AL about midway between Greensboro and Gallion. It was built ca. 1915 under the Julius Rosenwald School Building Fund program to serve the local African-American community. The Emory School continued in use until 1960 when the students were consolidated with the Sawyerville school. The Emory School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on February 20, 1998 as a part of The Rosenwald School Building Fund and Associated Buildings Multiple Property Submission. This school is located in southwest Hale County on CR16 approximately 2 miles west of the intersection of CR16 and Highway 69 in the community of Cedarville (GPS coordinates 32.612755, -87.696678).
The Julius Rosenwald Fund was started by Julius Rosenwald, an American clothier, who became part-owner of Sears, Roebuck and Company in 1895, and eventually served as its president of the company from 1908 to 1922, and chairman of its Board of Directors until his death in 1932. He became interested in social issues, especially education for African Americans. The rural school building program for African-American children was one of the largest programs administered by the Rosenwald Fund. Over $4.4 million in matching funds stimulated construction of more than 5,000 one-room schools (and larger ones), as well as shops and teachers’ homes, mostly in the South. These schools, constructed to models by architects of Tuskegee College, became known as “Rosenwald Schools.” In some communities, surviving structures have been preserved and recognized as landmarks for their historical character and social significance.
Sources: 1) NRHP “Emory School” Registration Form; 2) Wikipedia