Yesterday I was returning from buying groceries and decided to look for a historic marker. I always learn something from these signs, and often they are in a photogenic location. This one was on the want list for the Historical Marker Database because they needed a close-up shot. I drove right past the location and didn’t see the marker, so I had to turn around and go back. This is in a rural area between Rectortown and Marshall.
“In 1912, Booker T. Washington, head of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, asked Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish Philanthropist and President of Sears, Roebuck & Company, to serve on the Board of Directors at Tuskegee. Their unique partnership led to the creation of the Rosenwald Fund to support the education of African-American children in the rural South. There were 382 Rosenwald schools built in Virginia between 1917 and 1932. Eight such schools in Fauquier County offered a quality education to untold numbers of African-Americans.
Mr. George W. Bannister and his wife, Addie, Rectortown residents, provided the land for the original No. 12 school at this site. Mr. Rosenwald wanted to provide seed money to encourage community support for a new and improved No.12. This new school was built in 1924 at a cost of $4,500. It was funded in three parts: the Black contribution — $800, public contribution — $3,000 and Rosenwald contribution — $700.”
This school was replaced in 1963 by the new, integrated school on the adjacent property. It is sad to realize that schools in the south for black children were given such low priority that outsiders had to step in just to provide adequate buildings. Eventually 5,300 southern schools were funded by Julius Rosenwald working with Booker T. Washington and local communities.
...nice information that is new to me.
ReplyDeleteMuito interessante.
ReplyDeleteUm abraço e boa semana.
Andarilhar
Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
Livros-Autografados
Dear Linda, yes it is really sad that education for black children was not considered important in the south. But fortunately there were people who saw things differently and were able to step in financially. A very interesting, educational sign.
ReplyDeleteHave a good week and a good start to September!
Traude
🌻🌺❤️🌺🌻
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2023/08/die-tiere-vom-tiergarten-schonbrunn.html
A remnant of a school
ReplyDeleteAstonishing that integration came so late to Virginia.
ReplyDeleteYes, and now that I read further, Fauquier County was slow in integrating and did not fully integrate the schools until 1969!
DeleteThat is quite a story.
ReplyDeleteIt’s no surprise of course that education was second rate and underfunded for black people in the South, and if DeSantis has his way they won’t learn about it. But never mind, think of all the wonderful skills they learned!
ReplyDelete