The first school in the Sawmills community was the Bradshaw School. It was a log structure built in 1859, one mile south of the present school.  This is not an actual picture of the Bradshaw School, but this is what it would have looked like. 

The first school to be known as Sawmills School was built in 1908. The school and the land were given by Jule Icard. It was a one-room structure located next to Mt. Zion Baptist Church.  In 1919, the first Sawmills School burned; it was replaced with a three story building that was used until 1930.  This is not an actual picture of the school, but this is what it may have looked like.