Decatur in Morgan County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Carver Elementary School
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 18, 2020
1. Carver Elementary School Marker
Inscription.
Carver Elementary School. . When classes began on this site in the late 1800s, the teaching staff of the East End Public School (also known as the Gibb Street School) consisted of Professor T. A. Frierson and his wife, Anna B. Frierson. At the time, it was the only school for people of color in the east Decatur community of Albany. In 1928. a newly constructed East End school opened on this site. In 1935, the Board of Education approved a request to rename East End in honor of Dr. George Washington Carver. It was the first school in Alabama named for Tuskegee Institute's world-renowned scientist and inventor.
George Washington Carver attended a renaming ceremony at the school on June 2, 1935. While in the city, Carver delivered the baccalaureate sermon for the Decatur Negro High School. An integrated audience of more than 1.000 attended the service, held in the segregated Princess Theater.
Carver Elementary School played a pivotal role in the east Decatur community, promoting educational development, social, cultural and moral advancement. Principals of the school included Professors William J. Wilson, William L. England, and Athelyne C. Banks, who became the first woman of color in the city to hold such a position.
Carver Elementary School closed in 1966. The building was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in March 2012.
When classes began on this site in the late 1800s, the teaching staff
of the East End Public School (also known as the Gibb Street School)
consisted of Professor T. A. Frierson and his wife, Anna B. Frierson.
At the time, it was the only school for people of color in the east
Decatur community of Albany. In 1928. a newly constructed East End
school opened on this site. In 1935, the Board of Education approved
a request to rename East End in honor of Dr. George Washington
Carver. It was the first school in Alabama named for Tuskegee
Institute's world-renowned scientist and inventor.
George Washington Carver attended a renaming ceremony at the
school on June 2, 1935. While in the city, Carver delivered the
baccalaureate sermon for the Decatur Negro High School. An
integrated audience of more than 1.000 attended the service,
held in the segregated Princess Theater.
Carver Elementary School played a pivotal role in the east Decatur
community, promoting educational development, social, cultural and
moral advancement. Principals of the school included Professors
William J. Wilson, William L. England, and Athelyne C. Banks, who
became the first woman of color in the city to hold such a position.
Carver Elementary School closed in 1966. The building was listed
on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in March 2012.
Erected 2019
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by the Alabama Historical Association.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. In addition, it is included in the Alabama Historical Association series list. A significant historical month for this entry is March 2012.
Location. 34° 36.426′ N, 86° 58.56′ W. Marker is in Decatur, Alabama, in Morgan County. It is on Church Street south of 8th Avenue NE, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 809 Church St NE, Decatur AL 35601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. 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 original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking
Photographed by Mark Hilton, October 18, 2020
2. Former Carver Elementary School (now Horizon High School).
Credits. This page was last revised on October 18, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,105 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on October 18, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
