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West Broad Street School

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Coordinates: 33°57′09″N 83°23′50″W / 33.952587°N 83.397345°W / 33.952587; -83.397345
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West Broad Street School
West Broad Street School (c. 1913)
Location
Map
West Broad at Minor Street,
Athens, Georgia

Clarke County

United States
Coordinates33°57′09″N 83°23′50″W / 33.952587°N 83.397345°W / 33.952587; -83.397345
Information
Former namesWest Broad Street School for Colored,
West Broad Public School for Negroes
School typePublic
Founded1891 (1891)

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]

Pre-history

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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

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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

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References

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  1. ^ a b Meunier, Danielle (2021-11-17). "West Broad Street School". The Georgia Trust. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  2. ^ Rawls, Nava (2021-06-23). "West Broad Street School: The fight for the preservation of Athens history". The Red & Black. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  3. ^ "West Broad Property Information". Clarke County School District. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  4. ^ Warnke, Lucinda (2021-06-26). "CCSD announces new plan for West Broad School". The Red & Black. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  5. ^ Thompson, Jim. "West Broad garden could be downsized dramatically". Online Athens. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  6. ^ a b c "The History of Black Education in Athens". The Red & Black. Spring 2023. Retrieved 2024-09-21 – via Issuu.
  7. ^ Thomas, Frances Taliaferro (2009). A Portrait of Historic Athens & Clarke County. University of Georgia Press. p. 321. ISBN 978-0-8203-3044-0.
  8. ^ a b c Thurmond, Michael L. (1999). "Black Educators and Their Schools: Quenching the Thirst for Knowledge, Athens Historian, Volume IV". Athens Historical Society.
  9. ^ a b Allen, Stephanie. "After months of talks about saving Athens' West Broad School, its future remains unclear". Online Athens. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  10. ^ Murphy, Larry G.; Melton, J. Gordon; Ward, Gary L. (2013-11-20). "Bray, James Albert". Encyclopedia of African American Religions. Routledge. p. 114. ISBN 978-1-135-51338-2.
  11. ^ "Historic Athens cries foul over West Broad School demolition". WUGA, University of Georgia. 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
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