The History and Heritage of First Baptist Church, Centerville, Georgia:
In the early 1800's, the Centerville area was settled by Nathan, Jacob, Matthew, and Daniel Busbay, and was called Busbayville according to the old Bonner Map of 1847.  The community was later called Centerville because it is located halfway between Byron and Wellston (now Warner Robins).  Records show Mitchell Etheridge owned a store here as early as 1885.  He wanted a post office for this community, but was told that there already was a Centerville, Georgia in Gwinnett County.  He changed the name of the community to Hattie for his oldest daughter, Hattie Etheridge Kemper.  At first mail came once a week by horseback but later was delivered daily.  That post office eventually closed.  A school system was started in a one-room schoolhouse named Hattie School, sometime before 1896.   W. C. Monk was principal in 1896.  A new, larger, two-room community schoolhouse, Centerville School, was built next to the old school in 1900.  It had one classroom and a large auditorium used as a classroom.  Six classrooms were added sometime in the 1920's.