McKenzie, Tenn.–“Oh, while we meet, let our voices now ring; we love thee Webb, we love thee Webb”.
The school song is on the minds of many alumni of the former Webb School in McKenzie with the news that the old school building has been officially placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Generations of African Americans passed through the doors, and graduated from Webb Public School and with the news, it remains a tribute to the history of African Americans in Carroll County and elsewhere.
The Webb Alumni Association plans a celebration and ribbon-cutting July 20 at the school building, located at 938 Walnut Street West, in McKenzie. There is an on-site museum in the building which is open each Tuesday.
The nomination process is lengthy and involves a lot of research. The Association applied with the Tennessee Historic Commission and the United States Department of the Interior.
A description of Webb School in the nomination states, “The Webb School building sits on 15.1 acres and was constructed in 1958 in the Modern Movement style…The Webb School was moved to this property in 1937 after the other school building in town burned in 1936. The 1937 building was later torn down due to deterioration and the current building was constructed in 1958. The current school gained historical significance from 1958-1966, when it served as a school for local African American students, grades one through twelve. This school was also the only high school for African American students in Carroll County. The school was later desegregated in 1966, however the building continues to be maintained in its current historic state and is used for a variety of community needs.”