LIFE AROUND CENTERVILLE IN THE
FIFTIES—Dan Curry
Looking back to my childhood there was no better place than Centerville to have grown up. Centerville was a peaceful, easy pace rural community emerging from a farming community to a bedroom community. Most people commuted to and from work in Atlanta. In the fifties we did not know that Atlanta was destined to be the hub of the “New South”.
Each morning menand women car pooled tojobs in Atlanta. Various companies south of the Capital, such as Warren Refrigeration, Southern Cross (a mattress manufacturer), William Brothers Lumber Company, Scripto, York, Grinnell and Rich’s Department Store to name a few, employed many Centerville residents.Some worked in the automobile industry. Ford Motor had a plant at Hapeville, Chevrolet at Lakewood and Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac at Doraville.It was not until the late fifties and early sixties that northern companies expanded their operations to the Atlanta area seeking to employ honest, hard working able bodied men and women. As more and more companies made their way south large warehouses sprang up around Atlanta. One such area is between Stone Mountain and Tucker.
Each day our residents would return home to the serenity of our quaint community. We never experienced a traffic jam. We knew most of the people who traveled through Centerville.
Social areas consisted of two churches, Rock Bridge Baptist Church (now Hope and Life Fellowship) and Zoar UnitedMethodist Church, Centerville Elementary School and the two and sometimes three country stores, and an occasionaljot em down (salvage) store.
I began school in September 1955 at CentervilleElementary School located at the intersection of Campbell Road and Highway 124 on the site of Hope and Life Fellowship. It was a small country school, the same school my mother attended as a child. My first school year was the last year with “Pot Bellied Heaters” and NO indoor restrooms. The summer renovation of 1956 gave us indoor restrooms and a kerosene boiler for heat.The Elementary School or Grammar School consisted of grades one through eight. The first grade had a room, the second and third grades shared a room as did the fourth and fifth, and sixth and seventh grades, and the eight grade had a room.The school colors were Green and Gold. The Sydney Lanier Regional Library sent a “Book Mobile” to each school once a month. In the early sixties in addition to the “Book Mobile” the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) created a small library in a room on the front hall. An art room was created in the basement where a community cannery once had been. The school never had more than 155 students and covered an area geographically from Highway 78, Bethany Church Road eastwardto Lenora Church Road and Pleasant Hill Road.
Each month a lady, I believe with the Gideon’s, would visit the school and we all would assemble in the auditorium for a Bible lesson.We were encouraged to learn and recite Bible verses to our teacher.We were rewarded with gifts such as a small New Testament for a few verses or a Bible if we could recite a chapter.
Mrs. Lankford from Stone Mountain would come each week to give piano lessons,in the Auditorium, to paying students.
In 1958 SouthGwinnettHigh School opened in Snellville replacing the SnellvilleHigh School. Centerville, Snellville and GraysonElementary Schools were feeder schools for South Gwinnett. Upon completion of the eighth grade we would then journey five miles each day to South Gwinnett High School. When my class first arrived at South in September of 1963 its student population was around 450.
The old CentervilleElementary school was consolidated into SnellvilleElementary School in 1969. In the early 1970’s a new CentervilleElementary School opened. Also in the early 1970’s the new concept of middle schools was introduced. Snellville Middle School was the first in our area.
Earlier I mentioned that my Mother attended CentervilleElementary School.Back then the school had ninth and tenth grades and was known asCentervilleHigh School. If a person wished to attend the eleventh grade they would go to SnellvilleHigh School. Transportation was very poor. Please remember there were very few cars and all roads were dirt and often muddy even Highways US 78 and SR 124. Everyone walked to school.There were no school buses. In order to attend the eleventh grade my wife’s aunt and two other girls boarded (room and meals) with Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Snell to live near SnellvilleHigh School. Myfather-in-law was tall and a good basketball player.He and few others from Centerville boarded (room and meals) near Dacula so as to attendDaculaHigh School primarily for the purpose of playing basketball. Like football today basketball was very competitive. Centerville had a large drafty gymnasium with one by four pine floors and a championship team.
The school year was much different then as compared to today. Since the main occupation was farming students would take time off from school in the spring during planting season and again in the fall for harvest. The demands of chores on the family farm oftenwere a higher priority than receiving a quality education.
On the other hand a student with a flair for teaching could take a teaching class and upon completion would be given credentials to teach. Often times in order to have good teachers at the local school families or a widow would “Take In” teachers as boarders (room and meals) for a small monthly fee.
By the early 70’s Snellville had many sub divisions. Now Centervillewas poised and ready for growth. The sale of approximately 20 acres along Highway 124 for an estimated $1000.00 per acre ushered in Centerville’sfirst sub division with 50 new homes. As one sub division was completed another began. It was exciting seeing our quaint village change-more people, more schools, more shops, more traffic, more taxes and a lot more friends.
In my next article I will tell you about the local churches and stores.