The original RCTS Building with the 1942 Graduating Class in front of the building. Front row (kneeling) Junior Strickland from Bacon Level, Hezakiah Carstarphen (teacher), Samuel McLain from Malone, James T. Marable from Malone; (standing) two unidentified, Texanna Marable (Royston) from Malone, Precious Glenn from Wedowee, Myrtis Wilkes from Wedowee, Thelma Stevens (Minnifield) from Anniston/Roanoke, Emma Kate Hand from Wehadkee, and unidentified. (Courtesy Warren Minnifield Collection)

The building, authorized in 1917, opened in 1919. It burned to the ground in February 1943.

RCTS was one of 12 schools in Randolph County built with the aid the Rosenwald Foundation. It was built at a cost of $14,700.00. It was funded by monies raised as follows:

Negroes         $5,000

Whites            $2,000

Public             $5,900

Rosenwald    $1,800

Rosenwald Schools were built according to strict architectural plans.  Plans were numbered. The lower the number, the smaller and simpler the school.  Wehadkee was a type 1 school, Rock Mills, a type 2 school, and Randolph County Training School, a type 7.  A type 7 school was a two story school that was substantial in size.  A type 1 school was typically a one teacher school.

Other Rosenwald Fund schools built in Randolph County that were feeder schools to RCTS were:

HANDLEY CHAPEL (located near Needham Hill between Roanoke and Wedowee)

KIRK

MT. CARMEL (located in the Woodland community)

OAK GROVE

OAK RIDGE

PINE FLAT

ROCK MILLS (located in the Rock Mills community, the school burned in 1958)

ROCK MOUNTAIN (located in the Broughton Ridge community)

WEDOWEE (located in the town of Wedowee)

WEHADKEE (located in the Wehadkee/Springfield community, closed in 1954)