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William Minter Barbee Family committment to education and wholesome community activities
The William Minter Barbee family has been committed to the education of children in the Hominy Swamp and Richlands areas since 1886 when
William Minter (1st son of I.G. and Martha Jane Barbee) and Susan Francis Barbee donated/granted approximately one acre of land (on what
is now Huffmantown Road) to the Hominy Swamp School House Trustees for a new school. The one-room school was built and named Adams School
House in honor of John Adams, the previous owner of land the Barbees donated/granted.
Pictures of the original school house can be found at the Cox family web site.
According to the original 1886 Barbee grant the land was be used for school and benevolence purposes, except an organized church and
longer, but in case the premises shall cease to be used for School or benovelent purposes the Trustees may sell the house on said premises
and apply the proceeds for the benefit of children thereto entitled.
After the Adams School closed in 1924, the Hominy Swamp School House trustees apparently did not sell the house (school) but rather the land and
Adams School House ownership reverted to the William Minter Barbee family
According to a 1970 lease agreement and the 1987 deed (extracts provided below) between the William Minter Barbee heirs and the Hominy Swamp Community
Association, the land on which the Adams School House and Hominy Swamp Community Center are now located were provided to be used by the residents and
citizens of the Hominy Swamp Community as a site for a community center building for organized wholesome community activities. If the lands and buildings
on the premises or constructed on the premises cease to be used for such organized wholesome community activities, the lease/deed is terminated and the
property and improvements revert to the property of the Lessors/Grantors or their heirs and assigns.
When the Hominy Swamp Community Center was built in 1971, the Adams School House was moved Northward to land owned by Linford Shaw[3] and then moved back,
in 1996, onto land deeded to the Hominy Swamp Community Association. The photographs (copied from Adams School House information on the cox family website
and the survey map below show the school house circa 1902, circa 1975, and 1994 and depict its location on the Shaw property.
For many years the annual Barbee Family Reunion was held at the Hominy Swamp Community Center.
A description of the land at 603 Huffmantown Road, on which the Adams School House and Hominy Swamp Communmity Center are located, is:
The track of land is on the Westerly side of the State Road 1302 and begins at an iron stake in the westerly right of way of State Road
1302, the Linford Shaw Southeast corner, and running thence along and with the Shaw line in a Westerly direction 210 feet to a stake; thence
with the W. B. Barbee Estate lands in a Southerly direction 210 feet to an iron stake ; thence in an Easterly direction 210 feet to an iron
stake in the westerly right of way of State Road 1302; thence along and with the Westerly right of way line of State Road 1302 in a Northerly
direction 210 feet to the point of beginning containing ONE (1) acre more or less.
Below is a 2016 aerial view (from the Onslow County GIS) of the School House and the Community Center with property dimensions. Note that dimensions depicted
on the Northern side do not correspond with any of the recorded deeds.
Timeline
- 1886: William and Francis Barbee give Land to Hominy Swamp School House trustees
- 1889: Adams School House built by Hominy Swamp School House trustees
- 1924: Adams School House closes
- 1927: William Minter sells land including original Adams School House tract to William Burke Barbee (Book 160 Page 52)
- 1970: Land and Adams School Leased by Lucy H Barbee (widow of W.B. Burke), William L (Knott) Barbee, and Fred Barbee to Hominy Swamp Community Association
- 1970: Adams School House moved onto Linford Shaw land (adjacent to land leased by Hominy Swamp Community Association)
- 1971: Hominy Swamp Community Center built by the Hominy Swamp Community Association
- 1987: Land Deeded from William L (Knott) Barbee, and Fred Barbee to Hominy Swamp Community Association
- 1996: Two pine trees toppled by winds from Hurricane Fran crashed into the Adams School House roof.
- 1997: Adams School House moved from right of Hominy Swamp Community Center to left of Community Center
Land Grant/Lease/Deed
Land Granted to Hominy Swamp School Trustees (1886)
According to an indenture dated October 15, 1886, (book 160 page 26) William Minter and Francis Barbee “give, grant, bargain, and sell” to Trustees
of the Hominy Swamp School House for One Dollar, a parcel of land “Beginning at a lightwood stake on the new road running from Abner Ervin’s to Cyrus
Brown’s and running West with the line of F.D. Shaw 10 poles (165 feet) to a lightwood stake on the line between F.D. Shaw and W.M. Barbee, thence South
sixteen poles (264 feet) to a lightwood stake, thence East ten poles (165 feet) to the aforementioned new road, thence with said road to the beginning
containing one acre.
The Hominy Swamp School House Trustees were:
- F.D.Shaw
- Thomas Ferman Barbee
- Charles Padrick
- Henry Huffman
- Henry L. Cox
The Trustees and their successors in office so long as the parcel of land is used for School or benevolence purposes, except an organized
church and no longer, but in case the premises shall cease to be used for School or benevolent purposes the Trustees may sell the house on
said premises and apply the proceeds for the benefit of children thereto entitled.
Land Leased to the Hominy Swamp Community Association (1970)
According to an Agreement dated May 15, 1970 between Lucy H Barbee (widow of W.B. Barbee) and Fred Barbee and William L Barbee (Lessors) and
the Trustees of the Hominy Swamp Community Association for a tract of land (Book422, page 174 ) on which the Adams School House is located and
upon which a community building is not being constructed.
The Hominy Swamp Community Association Trustees were:
- Fred Barbee
- Charles H Huffman
- Mrs Everitte Barbee
The Lessors do hereby demise, lease, and let unto the Lessees that certain tract of land upon which is presently situated the Adams Schoolhouse
and upon which a community building is not being constructed, said lands.
The tract of land is on the westerly side of State Road 1302 and begins
at an iron stake in the westerly right of way line, the Linford Shaw[1] southeast corner and runs along and with the Shaw line in a westerly
direction 210 feet to a stake thence with the W.B. Barbee Estate lands in a southwesterly direction 210 feet to an iron stake; thence in an easterly
direction 210 feet to an iron stake in the westerly right of way of State Road 1302; thence along the westerly right of way of State Road 1302 in a
northly direction 210 feet to the beginning containing one acre more or less.
The lease runs and continues as long as the lands are used by the residents
and citizens of the Hominy Swamp Community as a site for a community center building for organized wholesome community activities.
If the lands and buildings on the premises or constructed on the premises cease to be used for such organized wholesome community activities the
lease is terminated and the property and improvements revert to the property of the Lessors or their heirs and assigns.
During the term of the lease all expenses of utilities and insurance will be the responsibility of the Hominy Swamp Community Association Trustees.
Land Deeded to Hominy Swamp Community Association (1987)
According to a deed dated February 22, 1987 (book 823 page 448), Fred Barbee and William L Barbee sold a parcel of land to the Hominy Swamp Community
Association for $10.00. subject to the rights of reversion/
The Hominy Swamp Community Association Trustees were:
- Fred Barbee
- Charles H Huffman
- Mrs Everitte Barbee
The track of land is on the Westerly side of the State Road 1302 and begins at an iron stake in the westerly right of way of State Road 1302, the
Linford Shaw[2] Southeast corner, and running thence along and with the Shaw line in a Westerly direction 210 feet to a stake; thence with the
W. B. Barbee Estate lands in a Southerly direction 210 feet to an iron stake; thence in an Easterly direction 210 feet to an iron stake in the westerly
right of way of State Road 1302; thence along and with the Westerly right of way line of State Road 1302 in a Northerly direction 210 feet to the point
of beginning containing ONE (1) acre more or less.
The tract of land is to be used by the residents and the citizens of the Hominy Swamp Community as
sight for a community center building for organized and wholesome activitiws with the provision that if the tract should cease to be used for such organized
and wholesome activities that the Deed shall be considered null and void and all the interestband ownership in the propoerty together with all improvements
shall revert to Fred Barbee and William L. Barbee their heirs and asigns in fee simple absolute forever.
(This description is different than the one in 1886)
Hominy Swamp Area
The area known as Hominy Swamp, illustrated on the 1921 Onslow County Soils Map below, lies between Ervintown and Huffmantown communities [4]:
- beginning at the bridge where Mill Branch crosses Huffmantown Road,
- down Mill Branch to Coxs Branch
- up Coxs Branch to Cat Tail Branch
- down Cat Tail Branch in a westerly direction to Mill Branch,
- down Mill Branch in a southerly direction, continuing down what is now labeled Mill Branch Canal, continuing through where Elder Branch empties into Mill Branch,
and continuing down Mill Branch to the beginning (where Mill Branch crosses Huffmantown Road)
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