Conecuh County's Rabb community was named after early county pioneer

The old Rabb School building in Conecuh County, Ala.

Bright afternoon sunlight shining through the windows of the newspaper office the other day caused me to come down with a bad case of wanderlust. A few minutes later, I was in my truck and headed north up U.S. Highway 31. About five miles later, out past the Evergreen Golf Club, I found myself in Conecuh County’s old Rabb community.

I turned down Antioch Church Road and a few minutes later pulled over at the old Rabb Cemetery. Sources say that the Rabb community is one of the oldest settlements in Conecuh County, and the dates on the graves in this large cemetery bear this out. I’d estimate that this sprawling cemetery contains around 200 graves, and the oldest grave that I saw belonged to three-month-old Isabella S. Rabb, who died in August 1828.

Isabella’s grave is among a number of old Rabb family graves to be found inside a unique brick enclosure near the cemetery’s entrance. The enclosure consists of a brick wall that’s about chest-high, and it has obviously weathered many years out in the open. Within this enclosure, you’ll also find the grave of William Rabb Sr., who died in 1859.

Sources say that the Rabb community was named after William Rabb Sr., who moved to Alabama in 1819, the same year that Alabama became a state. William Rabb Sr. settled the area that people would later call Rabbville or Rabb’s Store before the name was eventually shortened to Rabb. In his heyday, William Rabb Sr. was one of the county’s most prominent merchants and farmers.

From the cemetery, I drove down to the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, where my old friend, the Rev. Michael Jackson, serves as pastor. He wasn’t around when I stopped by, but I did have a nice chat with Rose Robbins, who is celebrating the birth of a new great-grandchild. Rose and I talked about the age of this stately old church, and she directed me to a cornerstone on the southeast corner of the building, not far from the church’s front entrance.

Those who have seen this cornerstone before will know that it says, “Antioch Baptist Church – May 12, 1901 – Rev. J.H. Wrenn, B.D., Pastor.” I’m not 100-percent sure, but I believe the Rev. J.H. Wrenn to be the Rev. Jesse H. Wrenn, who passed away at the age of 93 in 1965 and was buried in Birmingham. He was born in 1872 and would have been 29 years old when the cornerstone was laid in 1901.

Before heading back to Evergreen, I swung by the old Rabb School, which is located a short distance away from the church. Sources say that this old building served as a school house from 1923 through 1960, and historical records show that the school was funded by Rosenwald School funds and other public funding sources. Today, it is used for youth activities, senior citizen activities and Disabled American Veterans meetings.

This old school is also listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage and was one of 389 Rosenwald Schools built in Alabama between 1912 and 1932. Rosenwald Schools were built through contributions from wealthy philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, who donated millions to build schools for black children in the South. Sources say that Conecuh County originally had 17 Rosenwald Schools and that the Rabb School is the last of these schools still standing in Conecuh County.

As I stood there in front of the old school, I thought about all of the people who have lived in the Rabb community over the years. At one time, Rabb had a sizeable population. In fact, the community even had its own post office from 1898 to 1918.

In the end, I’d like to hear from anyone in the reading audience with more information about the history of the old Rabb community. I’m especially interested in any old ghost stories, tall tales or local legends from the Rabb community. Also, if anyone knows of any old Indian mounds or village sites in this area, please let me know.