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Settled prior to the Civil War, the community of Leesburg, later known as Leesville, was a thriving trade and supply center for the region when this one-room brick schoolhouse was constructed in 1868. The building site was conveyed to stockholders of the Leesburg Male and Female Institute in 1873 by Mrs. M. C. Hubbard. The original materials used in the construction of the schoolhouse were provided locally. Red clay bricks for the exterior were manufactured in a kiln east of the site, the lumber came from the Daniel Brown Sawmill located on nearby O'Neill Creek, and local residents provided the labor. As the community grew, wooden additions to the building, since removed, were constructed. Classes were held here until 1918, when a new schoolhouse was built. In the 1920s the building was adapted for uses as a community center and was the site of various civic functions, including oyster fries, barbecues, and religious meetings. Later it was used as a school lunchroom and a private residence. Rebuilt as a community center, the Leesville School serves as a reminder of the proud heritage of the area's early residents. (1982) |
