The Willow Hill Heritage and Renaissance Center

The Willow Hill Heritage and Renaissance Center The purpose of Willow Hill Heritage and Renaissance Center is to protect and preserve the history of the Willow Hill School.

The Willow Hill Heritage and Renaissance Center concept was spawned after the 1954 Willow Hill School building and property was placed for sale by the Bulloch County Board of Education in 2005. A group of concerned citizens and direct descendants of the founders of Willow Hill School looked for a way to purchase the school in an effort to preserve the legacy of the Willow Hill School. This group h

ad approximately two weeks to secure the funds for the purchase of the school property. The group members pooled their resources and personally donated $60,000.00 dollars for the project. The Willow Hill School was started in 1874 by former slaves. The school was in existence for 125 years; the longest for any school in Bulloch County, Georgia. The founding of the Willow Hill Heritage and Renaissance Center and its future operation as a museum and community resource is an effort to preserve a piece of American History. This museum will serve to educate and expand the current knowledge of Black History in the 21st century.

09/03/2026

Founders. Clerks. Pastors. Members of a community whose names helped shape the history of St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church.

As Dr. Jackson often reminds us, saying their names matters. When names stop being spoken, stories can disappear with them.

Preserving this history means remembering the people who made it.

09/02/2026

Some places hold more history than we realize.

The area surrounding St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church represents an important crossroads in the story of Bulloch County. Churches were being established in this part of the community even before the county itself was formed, and the records they left behind provide an important window into the people who lived here.

The presence of African Americans within these early church communities — documented through names and church records — helps us trace people, families and connections across generations.

09/01/2026

Georgia was the last of the original 13 colonies — and its Trustees initially prohibited slavery.

In this visit to St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church, Dr. Jackson traces how economic interests helped change that course and connects the larger history of slavery in Georgia to Bulloch County.

He also introduces James Young, a prominent local landowner and enslaver, and shares a remarkable connection uncovered through his own family research: tracing one of his enslaved ancestors back to Young.

08/31/2026

As Sherman’s army moved through Georgia toward Savannah, thousands of formerly enslaved people followed in search of freedom.

Dr. Jackson connects that history to Sherman’s route through Bulloch County before recounting the tragedy at Ebenezer Creek — where many of those following the Union army lost their lives.

08/28/2026

246 years of enslavement.

It is a span of history that can be difficult to comprehend simply as a number — but its impact was carried across generations, families and communities.

Remembering this history is part of understanding the history that followed.

08/27/2026

At Lee Cemetery, Dr. Jackson highlights members of the Lee family and shares what is known about their lives, relationships and place within the family’s history.

Some stories are more complete than others, but preserving the names and information we do have helps keep these individuals from becoming simply names on a marker.

08/26/2026

Walking through Lee Cemetery, Dr. Jackson points out the areas where different families are buried, identifying names, relationships and pieces of history connected to the people resting there.

Some stories come with remarkable details. Others may be as simple as knowing a name, a family and where that person belongs in the community’s history.

That is why documenting places like Lee Cemetery matters. Every name remembered, every story recorded and every connection preserved helps ensure this history is not lost to time.

08/25/2026

At Lee Cemetery, Dr. Jackson calls attention to Steven and Maggie Lee and shares an important piece of local history.

He explains that Steven Lee, who lived on the Lee plantation, played a role in caring for members of the community after death — during a time before modern embalming and funeral practices.

08/24/2026

A gravesite uncovered. Another piece of history brought back into view.

At Lee Cemetery, Dr. Jackson shares the recent discovery of George Lee’s grave and what is known about his family, ancestry, and the life connected to this resting place.

Every grave has a name. Every name has a story. And each discovery gives us another piece of the history we’re working to preserve.

08/07/2026

William Littles is remembered as a man who built considerable wealth and established a life of prominence within his community.

His accomplishments were especially significant during a time when Black Americans faced systemic barriers to land ownership, prosperity and opportunity.

The history shared by the community also tells of the devastating losses he experienced during the Great Depression, when his possessions were taken from him. He died not long afterward — what Dr. Jackson describes as dying from a broken heart.

By remembering William Littles, we honor his success, acknowledge the harm he endured and ensure that his story is not lost.

Address

4235 Willow Hill Rd
Portal, GA
30450

Telephone

+19128657154

Website

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