Time for another in our series of aerial postcard images of Mississippi places.

Not sure when this postcard photograph of Piney Woods School in Rankin County was taken, but it looks like maybe the 1950s. Piney Woods is one of only four boarding schools established for African Americans in the country, and it’s the second largest.

Having just been there a few weeks ago, I can verify that the roofs are still a vivid red–modern red metal rather than I think the original asphalt shingles–and that almost all of the buildings in this image are still standing. The only one that I can tell is gone is the Classroom Building near the center, called Goodwill Hall, I believe, and maybe a couple of the workshops over to the left. The library is now much larger, with a wing added and a large auditorium stands behind it, as you can see in this Bing Map image. Almost all of the buildings on campus were built by the students.

If you’re driving along Highway 49 and have a half hour or so to swing through Piney Woods, make a point of doing it. It’s a Mississippi treasure!

Categories: African American History, Architectural Research, Cool Old Places, Schools