Alachua in Alachua County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Alachua County Training School
The Alachua County Training School was built at this location as the first school for blacks in the City of Alachua in 1922. In 1920, a delegation of courageous black men from Alachua led by Jack Postell, who could neither read nor write, approached the Alachua County School Board to build a school for the city’s black children. Postell was inspired by the Julius Rosenwald Fund, which provided aid for the construction of African American schools in the rural South. Directed by the School Board to raise $10,000 for construction of the school, Postell and his delegation raised the money in two years. Donations included $1,600 from the Rosenwald Fund and money from the John F. Slater Fund to furnish the school. The school opened in September 1922 with Napoleon B. Campbell as its first principal, and 300 students, ages 7-25 in grades 1-6. By 1938, grades 7-12 had been added. Students were given an education that emphasized agriculture and home economics, as well as academic subjects. A.L. Mebane served as principal from 1924 until the 1950s. The school operated for 36 years and was a mainstay of the African-American community until it was demolished in 1959.
This one-story frame vernacular style building, supported on a brick pier foundation with lattice infill, featured exposed rafter tails, decorative gable end brackets, and nine-over-one double hung windows. The school consisted of an auditorium and seven classrooms. Many of its graduates returned to the county after college as successful contributing professionals.
Erected 2014 by The A.L. Mebane High School Alumni Association, Inc. and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-823.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. In addition, it is included in the Rosenwald Schools series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1922.
Location. 29° 47.967′ N, 82° 29.758′ W. Marker is in Alachua, Florida, in Alachua County. Marker is at the intersection of Northwest 141st Street and Northwest 158th Avenue, on the left when traveling north on Northwest 141st Street. Marker is on the southwest corner. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Alachua FL 32615, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. City of Alachua (approx. 0.4 miles away); Alachua Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); City of Alachua Downtown Historic District (approx. half a mile away); Alachua Methodist Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); Williams/Leroy House (approx. 0.7 miles away); Newnansville Town Site (approx. 1.1 miles away); Newnansville Methodist Church Site (approx. 1.2 miles away); Springhill Methodist Church/Traxler, Fla. (approx. 5.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Alachua.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 5, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 9, 2020, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 569 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 9, 2020, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.