The community of Zama, in Attala County, was named for the daughter of one of the town’s founders (“Brief History of Communities of Attala County,” Attala Historical Society). The first school building was constructed in 1907, and the building pictured above replaced the old school in 1949. The building was designed by Edgar Lucian Malvaney–without the fake arched windows (Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Historic Resources Inventory database). Other than some of the school complex buildings, nothing remains but the Zama Baptist Church building a bit further down the road, which they seem to have vacated in favor of the school building, and the cemetery. The town grew following the establishment of a lumber mill, and “boomed” for 12 years, when both the Depression and using up most of the timber hit at the same time. At one time, Zama held two hotels (one for whites and one for blacks), a depot, jail, bank, post office, school, and later on, stores, cafes, barbershop, laundry, garages, and of course, churches (Attala Historical Society). The lumber mill moved out, taking with it employment opportunity.
Zama Vocational Agricultural and Home Economics Building, retrieved from mdah.state.ms.us/arrec/digital_archives/series/2018/detail/3678
When an increase in federal funds from the New Deal Administration was awarded to Mississippi in 1937, more than 40 new vocational units were added to schools (“Vocational Education expanded,” Hattiesburg American, August 19, 1937, p. 2). One of those new buildings, constructed by the National Youth Administration, was in Zama, and was completed in 1938. The vocational building is no longer extant. 
Also completed in 1938 was the new Zama gymnasium. The 1.5 story building bears similarity to other rural community gymnasiums constructed during that time period, such as the one in Thyatira, the only extant building remaining from the Thyatira school complex. There is no documentation as to the construction of the gymnasium, but its 1938 construction date at the same time as the vocational building might make it a candidate for having been built with New Deal funds. A number of rural school gymnasiums in Mississippi were constructed with NYA labor or WPA funds, such as the ones in Shaw and in Shelby.
Barely visible in the upper left corner of this photograph is the teacher’s house, c. 1930 (MDAH, HRI).
Categories: Historic Preservation, New Deal, Schools
Preservation in Mississippi 
The 1x 3 ceiling tiles, in one of the interior hallway photos of the MDAH hri db are interesting.
Am I the only one to find period ceiling tiles interesting? :)
Excellent post. Thanks!
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Probably not, but then again…I used to have a collection of folk art paintings done on large ceiling tiles though. :)
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The first place I ever took notice of them was in the Old Pascagoula High School. The original WPA 1939 building used 32″x32″ the 1942 WPA addition to that building used 12″x36″ tile. The 1949 Zama school looks to have used the same 12″x36″ tile.
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How interesting! And how sad that this little community faded with the loss of the lumber mill. The gym must have been insufferably hot with just those small windows for ventilation.
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This is one of my all-time favorite consolidated school campuses, with its wood-frame gym and U-plan school building, and the teacher’s house, all located on a red-dirt road that once brought the busloads of kids from that part of the county.
I started noticing the ceiling tiles about halfway through my school survey, but it seemed to me that rectangular tile was most common around 1950. Of course, hardly any schools other than a few in Pascagoula were built during WWII, so your observation, TR, shows that that dimension was being produced by 1942 and so the transition might have occurred around 1940. Perhaps you can do a post on the history of ceiling tiles :-)
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It sounds like you know a lot about school ceiling tiles and are volunteering to do a guest post? :-)
What is the size of the c.1950 rectangular tile? I think the c.1950 tiles are smaller (about 1×1) than the c.1930 tiles which are almost 3ft sq.
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Actually I was volunteering you! The dimensions I wrote down in my notes for rectangular tiles was 1×2 feet, but I don’t believe I actually took a tape to them, just eyeballed them from the floor. I am a short person, so I felt it was the best I could do under the circumstances. They might be closer to 1×3. I’ll go back through some of my pictures and see if I can tell.
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The gym looks like the Lawhon School (formerly East Tupelo High School) gym in East Tupelo. The gym was there when my dad went to school there in the late 1930s.
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I went to school at zama from the 1st to the eighth grade and then was bussed to Ethel to finish High School. Out basketball team was the attala county champions that I played on we were undefeated that year. Many, many memories is the old school and gym as well as the votech and home ec bldgs.
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I am Wallace Pilgrim’s daughter and I went to Zama school for one year when I was nine. I loved that school and the teachers. I had Ms. Shoemaker that year. She was teacher and principal.
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Do you know the names of the stores in zama.ms
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Teenie’s General store
Teenie Clifton – Owner for many many years…….now closed
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Teenie’s General Store
Teenie Clifton owner for many, many years………
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I lived in the “teachers house” for a couple of years when I was a kid! I can still walk through that house and tell you everything! Zama is a place where kids want to play outside cause you can find something new everyday, many many miles were walked and bike ridden
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Yes.you are right.Mr Edwards was the owner.he died.his wife Doris gave it to Christin.
(Teenie)christin Clifton drive her father to the cemeteries each day at 4:pm seven
Days a week.Good woman GOD Bless her.
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I went to school there until the 7th grade when I left to go to Edinburg in Leake county. I don’t remember the Gym being hot but I do remember it being really cold at games. I wish the old gym was preserved but i guess it was just too much work. My grandfather helped build the gym and other buildings. My dad was born in a house just across a field from the school. My great aunt, Gladys Mooney, taught at Zamia for years. She taught me in grades 1 and 2.. jimmy who responded above and I went to school there together. Another schoolmate sent me this post. Good work.
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My mother Dorthey Fedrick went too school here. Later they met with my dad driving a school bus. To become married after her senior year. Four kids later I’m one of them
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Those pictures bring back such wonderful memories. I spent 8 fantastic years at Zama School!!!
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I have my uncle jimmy d Richardson his diploma from 1929 from zama
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My brother and sister both graduated from Zama.I myself when till I finished the eighth grade and then on to Ethel from there.We all have memory of that old gym. I played basket ball and still have my awards from 7th and 8th grades. Piano recital, grand old opera stars came there and forget the king and queen at the Halloween carnival and there were the cake walks, I could really go on and it was good times.
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Yes, they were!!!!
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Sorry.I did’t get to go to zame.
As a child I had to go blue ,I
Live 1.5 miles from Zama school.that what happened.when a father are
mother give their child away.l
New some good family there.Thrasher.Stone.Johnson
Ferguson Brown.Berry.Kellum.
So many more.Praise GOD.
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Zama
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I live in Zama, went to school there, Miss Gladys Mooney was the best teacher,. The main stores were Warrens and Edwards Grocery, later H.L. Ryals and Johnsons. Edwards Grocery was most often referred to as Tennies Store. The school now serves as Zama Baptist Church.
Other original building still standing is the Principals House, Tennies Grocery, the Clifton Brown House, Turner House, Jess Ferguson House, House occupied by Jerry Chitwood, and the Will Furguson House. and the old Zama Baptist Church.
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Thank you kerry Gregory.I forgot about earl warrens.I forgot Mr Edward first name.
I didn’t forget Tennies(Christian) there was a tree lay across lobutcher creek 100′ pass
Where archer creek run into lobutcher creek.to think back it was.man came along try to
change things.mix the schools.mix churches. People don’t have to die and go hell.Just live
On Earth.Thank you.are you related to Lewis Gregory the John Deere tractor.enjoy life in
Christ.I yes will Ferguson wife Noah kellum.Ferguson she had two houses one on each
Side of lobutcher. Good Day.
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To all that went to Zama School. I go to Zama Baptist Church in the old school. Every year we have a reunion for former students. It the last Saturday before the last Sunday in the month of May. We would love for all to come that want to. It starts at 1:00 PM.
My husband James Pope went to school at Zama. My children too, Darbie and James ll did too.
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