The original name of the schoolhouse, affectionately called the Little Red Schoolhouse by the members of the Eastern Star, was Richland Literary Institute. In 1848, the college was chartered under the name of Eureka Masonic College with the power to confer literary and honorary degrees. It is here that Dr. Rob Morris conceived the idea of the Order while serving as Principal of the school, thus making the Little Red Schoolhouse the birthplace of the Order of the Eastern Star. Official records show that the cornerstone of the building was laid early in October of 1847. It was described as “a handsome brick edifice, 60 by 30 feet, and two stories high.”

The building was used during the Civil War to house Company C, 15th Mississippi Infantry, one of the first companies organized in the state (https://holmescountyms.org/little-red-schoolhouse).

The Little Red Schoolhouse is located at Richland, Mississippi and may be reached by exit No. 144 or exit No. 146 from I-55, fifty miles north of Jackson, Mississippi. The building is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Souvenirs are on sale, no admission is charged.