The Tilly School once sat about where the Crossroads Church of Dunwoody is located, at the intersection of Peeler Road and Tilly Mill Road. Prior to Crossroads, this was the location of North Peachtree Baptist Church.
The Tilly School, Tilly Mill, and Tilly Mill Road were named for the pioneer Tilly family that owned the land and had a home, farm and mill in the stretch between Peeler Road and North Peachtree Road. The family operated a cotton gin, sawmill and gristmill on their Dunwoody land.
Up until 1973, there was a still a Tilly home on the northeast corner of Tilly Mill Road and North Peachtree Road. The Tillys were pioneers in the area of Doraville, Chamblee, and Dunwoody coming over to Georgia from South Carolina. Some who lived in the area in 1973 still recall the house.
The home was that of Fletcher Tilly and Louise Adaline Lively Tilly. Fletcher was the son of Ebenezer and Martha Ballenger Tilly.
The Glaze family who once owned a grocery and hardware store at the corner of Peeler Road and Winters Chapel Road had an aunt named Bernice who taught at Tilly School.
The only photograph I have of Tilly School is believed to be from about 1900. A reference to the school location in relation to the location of Camp Gordon (WWI training camp in Chamblee) in a 1926 Atlanta Constitution article, confirms that the school was still there that year.
There is little information available about Tilly School, but the Anderson family have shared a photograph of the school from the turn of the century. It may have been the closest school for the Carpenter and Donaldson families around 1900, because a member of each is identified in this photo. The two identified people are Ambrey M. Carpenter, Ken’s grandfather, and Mattie Donaldson, who married into the Carpenter family when she grew up. The teacher is standing in the middle, but her name is unknown.
This photograph of the Tilly School is believed to be from around 1900. It was in the photograph archives of the Anderson family. Ambrey M. Carpenter is on the first row, fourth from the left and Mattie Donaldson (Carpenter) is the fifth from the right on the front row.
We are fortunate that the Anderson family preserved this wonderful picture. If you have any history about the Tilly School or have a family member who may have heard stories, please share them with me on the Contact Us page.