Free Hill (also called Free Hills) is an unincorporated community in Clay County, Tennessee, United States. It is an African American community established before the Civil War.
The original inhabitants were the freed slaves of Virginia Hill, the daughter of a wealthy North Carolina planter. After purchasing 2,000 acres (8 km2) of isolated hilly land, Hill freed her slaves and turned the property over to them. Folklore suggests that the original residents included Virginia Hill's own mulatto children.[1]
At its peak the community had about 300 residents and included two grocery stores, three clubs, two eating establishments, two churches, and a school.[1]
The settlement's Rosenwald school was one of 354 schools for African Americans built in the early 20th century with financial support from the Julius Rosenwald Fund. The Free Hill Rosenwald School was used from approximately 1925 to 1949. The structure, which is believed to be one of only about 30 Rosenwald schools still standing, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.[2]
A small number of residents remain in Free Hill, whose population has declined since the 1960s. In September 1993 the State of Tennessee placed an historical marker on Tennessee State Route 53 to identify the community and commemorate its history.[1]
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