West Broad Street School
School in Georgia, US
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
West Broad Street School was a public school for African Americans founded in 1891, in Athens, Georgia, United States. Three of its historic school buildings remain.[1][2] The Clarke County Board of Education has been in ongoing discussion about the future of this former campus since 2016, with mention of proposed demolition in order to build a low income early childhood education program at the site.[1][3][4][5]
West Broad Public School for Negroes
| West Broad Street School | |
|---|---|
West Broad Street School (c. 1913) | |
| Location | |
 | |
West Broad at Minor Street, Athens, Georgia United States | |
| 33.952587°N 83.397345°W | |
| Information | |
| Former names | West Broad Street School for Colored, West Broad Public School for Negroes |
| School type | Public |
| Founded | 1891 |
Pre-history
The Baxter Street School was the first Athens public school specifically for African American students, opened in 1886.[6] That same year in 1886, Washington Street School (formerly the Market Street School) was opened for white students.[6][7] In 1893 the Baxter Street School was remodeled and used for white students.[6][8] The same year in 1893, the West Broad Street School and the East Athens School were opened for African American students.[8]
History
The West Broad Street School land was purchased by the school district in 1891, and the earliest building was completed in 1893, which was presumably demolished later for overcrowding.[9] In 1893, A.J. Carey served as the first principal, he previously was principal at the Baxter Street School.[8] Rev. James Albert Bray served as the principal from 1902 until 1903, while he also worked as a pastor at Trinity CME Church in Augusta, Georgia.[10]
The oldest of the three extant buildings is the Minor Street Building (1938) dating back to a time of Jim Crow laws; the other campus buildings are the West Broad Street Building (1954) and Campbell Lane Building (1958).[11][9]
See also
- Clarke Central High School, located nearby
- Knox Institute (1868–1928), private Black school in Athens