(Photo ID) Rev. Vincent Windrow, a retired MTSU administrator and alumnus. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS) - Inside the newly restored Cemetery School, the scene felt both nostalgic and hopeful. Elementary students sat at tables draped in stars‑and‑stripes cloths, coloring worksheets as retired Murfreesboro City Schools teacher and MTSU alumna Helen McKnight explained the meaning behind American symbols. When she asked what represents Tennessee, hands shot up eagerly. It was exactly the kind of moment organizers hoped would return to this historic space. Cemetery School is located at 3097 Old Nashville Highway.

Patriot Camp is one of the first major programs hosted at the revitalized Cemetery School, one of Tennessee’s few surviving Black school buildings from the segregation era. Its preservation has been driven by the determination of MTSU alumnus and retired administrator Vincent Windrow, along with the expertise of MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation. After decades of deterioration, the school is finding new purpose as a community anchor.

The site will soon welcome adults as well. A Juneteenth Celebration and fundraiser for ages 25 and older is planned for Friday, June 19, from 4 to 8 p.m. The event honors the day in 1865 when freedom finally reached the last enslaved Black Americans in Texas. Proceeds will support continued restoration work — a mission Windrow describes as his “swan song,” rooted in a desire to protect what he calls hallowed ground.

Cemetery School’s revival is the result of years of collaboration among Friends of Cemetery School, community supporters, and MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation. Director Carroll Van West and his students documented the school’s significance, helping secure its place on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022. They also created interpretive panels that will eventually line the museum space.

The school’s story is deeply tied to the Cemetery community, founded after the Civil War by formerly enslaved Union Army veterans who established Stones River National Cemetery. Education quickly became a priority, and the current school building was constructed in 1941 through the National Youth Administration. Much of its original character remains, from the blackboard to the light fixtures.

For Windrow, the goal is simple: make the school a place where history and community meet. Patriot Camp, supported by a Tennessee 250 grant and Wilson Bank & Trust, is just the beginning. As he put it, “It’s coming back alive.”