Orange Park Normal & Industrial School
School in Orange Park, Florida, US (1891–1913)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Orange Park Normal and Industrial School was a private boarding school founded in 1891 in Orange Park, Florida. It was Florida's only racially integrated school when it was in operation, founded by the American Missionary Association (AMA).[1][2] It closed in 1913 in the wake of a 1895 state law forbidding whites from teaching blacks.[2]
| Orange Park Normal and Industrial School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
2042 Park Avenue, Orange Park, Florida, U.S. | |
| Coordinates | 30.164966°N 81.701485°W |
| Information | |
| Founded | October 7, 1891 |
| Closed | 1913 |
| Affiliation | American Missionary Association |
History
The school was founded by the American Missionary Association (AMA) and opened in October 7, 1891 south of Jacksonville in Clay County along the St. Johns River.[3][4] The campus included dormitories and workshops.[5][6] Former principals included Amos W. Farnham, and B.D. Rowlee.[4]
William N. Sheats, the Florida state superintendent of public education who was a staunch segregationist, passed a law in 1895 ("Sheats' Law") that prohibited any Florida school (public or private), from teaching black and white students together.[4][7] The school appealed and won against "Sheats' Law", but closed in 1913 after Sheats had returned to office.[4]
The former school site is home to Orange Park's town hall and police station.[2][8] A historical marker is at the site of the school, erected in 2017.[9][6]
