DUANE
The story
In 1870, former slaves Robert and Dilsie Johnson received a 40-acre tract of land here as a wedding gift from plantation owner Lucy Lee. Soon other freedmen settled in Mosier Valley, and in 1883 a community school was organized. A schoolhouse, built at this site about 1924, served as a focal point for the surrounding area.
It was replaced by a brick structure in 1953. Mosier Valley students were integrated in 1969. Today the site serves as a reminder of the area's earliest citizens and as a symbol of the community's rich heritage. (1983)