Antioch (Rosenwald) School

At the urging of African American women in the Susan community, African American men built a log school ca. 1869. Antioch Baptist Church met there in its early years. In 1926-27, a new school was built here for grades one through seven. Contributions came from the Black community ($3,700), the county ($500), and the Julius Rosenwald Fund ($700), established in 1917 by the president of Sears, Roebuck, and Co. and inspired by the work of Booker T. Washington. Rosenwald funding helped build about 5,000 schools for Black students, including three in Mathews Co. Antioch School, a community hub of social and cultural activity, closed in 1948 and is the county’s only remaining Rosenwald-style building.

Department of Historic Resources, 2025