Duck Creek Hundred in Smyrna in Kent County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Thomas D. Clayton School

Photographed by Don Morfe, October 13, 2019

1. Thomas D. Clayton School Marker

Inscription. In 1919, a new era for education in Delaware was initiated when a statewide effort to replace old and outdated facilities was undertaken. In 1922, the new Smyrna Colored School opened its doors for African-Americans and other persons of color residing in Central Delaware. The school was attended by grades one through eight. Funding for the building was provided by the Delaware School Auxiliary Association and through the generosity of Pierre Samuel duPont. In 1946 the building was named to honor Smyrna native Dr. Thomas D. Clayton (1905-1995), an African-American physician who attended local schools and later practiced medicine in Pennsylvania. In 1965, the State Board of Education ordered the desegregation of Delaware schools. Students and faculty members became a part of the state's integrated public school system. Although renovations have altered its appearance, significant elements of the old school still remain. In February 2006, the building was formally renamed the Thomas D. Clayton Education Facility.

Erected 2007 by Delaware Public Archives. (Marker Number KC-103.)

Topics and series. This historical

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marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. In addition, it is included in the Delaware Public Archives series list.

Location. 39° 18.054′ N, 75° 36.072′ W. Marker is in Smyrna, Delaware, in Kent County. It is in Duck Creek Hundred. It is on Monrovia Avenue. The marker is mounted on the wall of the school near the north entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 80 Monrovia Avenue, Smyrna DE 19977, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Delaware’s Southern New Castle County. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic,

on the Delmarva Peninsula,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Union Cemetery (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Commodore

Photographed by Don Morfe, October 13, 2019

2. Thomas D. Clayton School Marker

Jacob Jones (about 600 feet away); Richard Allen (approx. 0.2 miles away); Smyrna Opera House and Old Town Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Barracks (approx. ¼ mile away); The Gray Box Chateau (approx. 0.3 miles away); Maj. McLane Bridge Lake Como Spillway (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Delaware House (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Smyrna.

Photographed by Don Morfe, October 13, 2019

3. Thomas D. Clayton School Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on May 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 19, 2019, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 595 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 19, 2019, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.