Houston in Chickasaw County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
1927 Schoolhouse
Photographed by Tom Bosse, August 22, 2020
1. 1927 Schoolhouse Marker
Inscription.
1927 Schoolhouse. . Schoolhouses have occupied this site since Mississippi Normal College was established here in 1888. The college served as both a grade school for local pupils and a boarding school for college students. Classrooms and an auditorium occupied a pair of two-story wooden structures and a third structure served as a dormitory. The wooden buildings were replaced in 1906 by a three-story brick public school that was razed after the end of the academic year in 1927 as a larger, more modern structure was nearing completion., In January 1926 the board of trustees approved plans for a new school building designed by architect James Manly Spain of Jackson, MS. The three-story brick building opened November 25, 1927. It was expanded in 1938 by the addition of an eastside annex to accommodate a growing enrollment. In addition to classrooms, study halls, library and administrative offices, it included an auditorium, music rooms, chemistry laboratory, nurse's station and cafeteria. Wintertime heating was provided by steam generated at a furnace in the basement and circulated through radiators located in each room. Open windows provided summertime cooling. The school served all grades until 1950 when a separate elementary school was built nearby along with the school's first-ever gymnasium. The 1927 structure and its 1938 annex were destroyed by fire on September 30, 1973. By that time it was solely a high school, serving grades 9 through 12., The class of 1928 was the first to hold graduation ceremonies in the new building. From 1928 to 1973 over 2000 students were awarded their high school diplomas here. Graduating classes ranged from fewer than 12 to more than 100.
Schoolhouses have occupied this site since Mississippi Normal College was established here in 1888. The college served as both a grade school for local pupils and a boarding school for college students. Classrooms and an auditorium occupied a pair of two-story wooden structures and a third structure served as a dormitory. The wooden buildings were replaced in 1906 by a three-story brick public school that was razed after the end of the academic year in 1927 as a larger, more modern structure was nearing completion.
In January 1926 the board of trustees approved plans for a new school building designed by architect James Manly Spain of Jackson, MS. The three-story brick building opened November 25, 1927. It was expanded in 1938 by the addition of an eastside annex to accommodate a growing enrollment. In addition to classrooms, study halls, library and administrative offices, it included an auditorium, music rooms, chemistry laboratory, nurse's station and cafeteria. Wintertime heating was provided by steam generated at a furnace in the basement and circulated through radiators located in each room. Open windows provided
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summertime cooling. The school served all grades until 1950 when a separate elementary school was built nearby along with the school's first-ever gymnasium. The 1927 structure and its 1938 annex were destroyed by fire on September 30, 1973. By that time it was solely a high school, serving grades 9 through 12.
The class of 1928 was the first to hold graduation ceremonies in the new building. From 1928 to 1973 over 2000 students were awarded their high school diplomas here. Graduating classes ranged from fewer than 12 to more than 100.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1926.
Location. 33° 53.77′ N, 88° 59.807′ W. Marker is in Houston, Mississippi, in Chickasaw County. It is on South Starkville Road north of East Harrington Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located in front of Houston Elementary School. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 123 South Starkville Road, Houston MS 38851, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Black Prairie and in the North Mississippi Hills.
Photographed by Tom Bosse, August 22, 2020
2. 1927 Schoolhouse Marker
It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Black Belt. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 28, 2020. It was originally submitted on August 27, 2020, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 851 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on August 27, 2020, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
