Brownwood-Centennial
On the occasion of its Bicentennial, Morgan County placed this marker here to commemorate the community of
Brownwood-Centennial
Located close to one another on the Old Sandtown Road, the communities of Brownwood and Centennial may have been one and the same in their early years. The road through these communities originally developed as a stagecoach route between Augusta and Sandtown, present-day Newborn. A house served as an inn and stagecoach stop in this area. Later, the Brown family acquired substantial acreage and contributed toward the development of several improvements, including Brown's Mill, Brownwood Church, and the Brownwood School, which was eventually rebuilt and came to be known as Brobstom's School. St. Paul's, a small Episcopal Church, was located in this area, and several other civic institutions served the African American community, including Thankful Church and School, and Moseley's Chapel and School.
Centennial began to distinguish itself from Brownwood when land was donated for the development of Centennial Church and cemetery and Centennial Academy in the late 19th century. Members of a community that had organized itself prior to this time, decided to construct a church building and later a school around 1880, thus taking an identity of its own.
Because of the individuals who take pride in this community, Brownwood-Centennial is recognized as a significant part of our county history.
Marker is at the intersection of Brownwood Road and Thankful Road, on the right when traveling north on Brownwood Road.
Courtesy hmdb.org
