Battleground School, Vinemont, Cullman County

Battleground School served the Cullman County community of Vinemont as a middle school for almost thirty years. (Photo by Robin McDonald)

In 1932, the Cullman County Board of Education con-structed the Battleground School. F. M. and Mary Gray sold the land to the state of Alabama for $150 on August 11, 1931. In 1932, P. E. Moore, superintendent of Cullman County Schools, allowed the community to donate 63,000 feet of lumber for the project. F. G. Fanning constructed the initial two-room building, and only grades seven through nine were taught for the first school year. Students then transferred to Falkville or Cullman to attend high school. Students in grades one through six attended several small one-room schools throughout the community.

In 1939, the school added four classrooms and wiring for electricity. In 1947, one of the initial classrooms was con-verted into a lunchroom. The school closed after the 1967 school year, and a Head Start program operated in the building from 1968 to 1989. In 2004, the Battleground School Historical Preservation Society took ownership of the property. The Alabama Historical Commission listed the school in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in 2005 for its educational significance.

The school building is in a state of disrepair due to deferred maintenance, lack of funds, and vandalism. The Battleground School Historical Preservation Society hopes to bring awareness to this unique historic place and raise grant funds and private donations to secure its long-term preservation.