Rosenwald Schools - History We Cannot Forget

The New North Carolina Highway Marker Honoring Rosenwald Schools

On a recent Sunday afternoon, I had the distinct honor of serving as the Master of Ceremonies for the "North Carolina Highway Marker Dedication and Unveiling" Honoring Rosenwald Schools. The ceremony itself was well-attended by local and state dignitaries.

The marker is near the Southern Bank ATM on Virginia Road in Edenton, NC. It commemorates North Carolina’s very first Rosenwald School. The school was located at Warren Grove Missionary Baptist Church further northward on Virginia Road. Another early Rosenwald School was also located nearby at St. John Missionary Baptist Church.

Prior to being asked to participate in the state ceremony, I knew very little about Rosenwald Schools and the extremely important role they played in the education of African-American children in our country, particularly the South. I have since learned just how vital these schools were and of the tremendous and well-deserved pride these schools engendered.

The Rosenwald Schools were established by Booker T. Washington, an ex-slave and Tuskeegee Institute Head, and Julius Rosenwald, the CEO of Sears, Roebuck and Company. More than 5,300 school buildings were built during the early 1900s. These school buildings were located in 15 southern states including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. 

North Carolina led the way with 813 Rosenwald school buildings, followed by Mississippi (637) and Texas(527.) The Sears archives state that by 1932, the Rosenwald Fund "had produced 4,977 new schools, 217 teachers' homes, and 163 shop buildings, constructed at a total cost of $28,408,520 to serve 663,615 students in 883 counties of 15 states."

1932 Map of Rosenwald Foundation School Buildings (HistorySouth.org)

In the early 1900's, few educational opportunities existed for African-American children and those that did typically were not the equals of the education offered to caucasian children. Historian Dr. Tom Hanchett stated that "by 1915, public schools in North Carolina, to cite just one example, spent $7.40 per white pupil but only $2.30 per black pupil, compared with the US average of nearly $30.00 per student."

Booker T. Washington built the Tuskeegee Institute into a major black college and believed that with some financial help from the north, a similar success could be built in public education for African-American children. Julius Rosenwald had helped Sears use mail-order catalogs to become the world's largest retailer. His philanthropy had provided County Extension Agents in rural counties, but he was moved by Washington's idea for education. Together, they created a plan requiring funding from local African-American communities and an agreement from the local school system to run the schools in order to receive cash from the Rosenwald Foundation.

According to the Rosenwald Foundation archives located at Fisk University, North Carolina's first Rosenwald School, the Warren Grove School, was a two-teacher school built in Chowan County for $1,622. Of this, $486 was raised by the local African-American community, $836 was raised by the general public, and $300 was donated by the Rosenwald Foundation. 

The Warren Grove Rosenwald School (Fisk University Collection)

Knowing that our county was home to the first of these schools in the state established to provide a high-quality education to African-American children should be a great point of pride for each of us. As Superintendent of Schools, it certainly is for me. I am proud of the efforts of past generations to ensure that every child in the county received a quality education. The schools required a significant financial contribution from the African-American community and the agreement of the local school board to run it. This collaboration and cooperation serves as an example of coming together to make a difference for children.

On a Sunday afternoon, Dr. Kevin Cherry, Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, presented the marker on behalf of the people of North Carolina. The marker was unveiled by former students of the school. As the students explained to me, the Warren Grove School would eventually become Edenton High, later renamed D.F. Walker High School after the principal who served with great distinction, before being merged into the current John A. Holmes High School.

 Video from the Unveiling of the NC Highway Marker

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is working with local communities and preservationists to raise awareness of this important part of our educational history. In 2002, Rosenwald Schools were placed on the National Trust's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places List.

Rosenwald School Plans - Tuskegee Institute Professors R.R. Taylor, Director of the Department of Mechanical Industries, and W.A. Hazel, of the Division of Architecture, created plans for the earliest Rosenwald buildings. These initial plans were designed for a 1-teacher school, a 5-teacher school, and an industrial building.  Later the Rosenwald Foundation would offer school plans for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 teacher buildings. These plans may be seen here.

Rosenwald School Locations - To help with preservation efforts, Fisk University created a database of the locations of the Rosenwald Schools. The University's Library is home to the Rosenwald Foundation archives that contain over 5,000 photographs of the schools.

References:

Dr. Tom Hanchett, HistorySouth.org

National Trust for Historic Preservation

Rosenwald Foundation Archives, Fisk University

Sears Archives