Davisville Schools
By 1919 the Wardville precinct stretched from the state line south to Sandy Hollow, west to Brushy Creek and east to Beaver Dam. These boundaries have never changed. Every two miles or so was mostly one-room schools, teaching grades one through eight. Included in these schools was School No. 11, the Wardville School with A.C. Wiggins principal and two teachers, Charles Dockens and Ophelia Rigby. School No. 31 or Davis School (formerly called the Harper School, with its last teacher known as Grover Peaden) had Mrs. Maude Kitchen as the teacher; Pine Forest School No. 2 had Miss Essie Mae Cannon as teacher; Nokomis was vacant at the time. The school trustees W.L. Godwin, J.W. Dove, T.M. Garrett and N.M. Franklin agreed to consolidate Davis, Pine Forest, and Franklin schools into one. Wardville School was transferred to Bratt.
In 1920 a new two-room school was built on an acre of land donated by J.W. Dove. The superintendent wanted to name the school "The Dove School" because of Mr. Dove's donation, but Mr. Dove declined and offered his wife's name instead--Davis. A majority of Davis settlers attended the school also. Later Pinky Davis gave additional land for the school's use as well. One of the first teachers at the Davis School was Miss Edith Dove. A few years later, two more rooms were added. In the early 1930s, the Alabama Power Company ran electric power for three miles into Florida, and electric lights were added, making the school a community recreation area. Box suppers were held, square dances or folk dances were sponsored by 4-H Clubs and community leaders with youth coming from all of the surrounding areas.
Following World War II the community grew, and grades seven and eight were moved to Ernest Ward. Nokomis was moved to Davis. Restrooms, proper light fixtures replaced the bare light bulbs. A modern lunchroom was added, thus giving way to an upgraded school.
By 1968-69 the faculty consisted of a teaching principal and four teachers. Also part-time speech and music teachers had been added. Grades one through six were taught with an enrollment varying from 140 to 158.
From this time on the enrollment seemed to gradually drop each year in spite of the addition of a part-time librarian, teacher aid, and many other improvements to this building. In June 1980, Davis School closed its doors because there was only a total of 71 students.
The school is now used for community meetings, family reunions and social gatherings.
Davisville Community Center (formerly Davis School)