This weekend, the Willow Hill Heritage and Renaissance Center will celebrate the 148th anniversary of the Willow Hill School in Portal.
Formerly enslaved African Americans started the school in 1874, and the school lasted through emancipation, Jim Crow segregation, and desegregation. The school was in existence for 125 years, which is the longest for any school in Bulloch County.
Unfortunately, the school no longer exists today; it was closed in 1999. The building itself was put up for sale in 2005 by the Bulloch County Board of Education.
But its legacy still lives on, thanks to the citizens of Bulloch County. The building was purchased by the sympathizing party and re-birthed into the Willow Hill Heritage and Renaissance Center.
Through the Willow Hill Heritage Festival, the center has celebrated Willow Hill's legacy for the past decade. And after a 2-year hiatus due to COVID, the festival is finally making its triumphant return.
2022 Festival: Sept. 3-4
The Willow Heritage Festival is a 2-day event filled with family-friendly fun. Day 1 (Saturday, September 3) will be the Free Food and Fun event at the Willow Hill outdoor pavilion. The event is from 9am-5pm and will have plenty to do for the kids, like meeting firefighters, playing games, dancing, and even face painting. Three guest speakers will also appear and discuss topics such as archival silence and explaining more of the less talked about history of African Americans in Bulloch County.
Day 2 (Sunday, September 4) features the Gospel Fest event. This event will host gospel music performances by local artist talent in the outdoor pavilion from 3-7pm. In addition, there will be food and plenty of merchandise to buy, with museum tours and even raffle events.
To the Development Director of the Willow Hill Heritage and Renaissance Center, Dr. Gayle Johnson, the Heritage Festival holds great importance to Bulloch County.
"It was the strength of the Willow Hill Community that allowed this school to survive," she said. "This is a reason to celebrate and remind people of the sacred history of Willow Hill and the Willow Hill Community."
The community is invited to celebrate with the Willow Hill Center this weekend. Additional information is below and may be found on the center's website and Facebook page.
