St. Joseph’s Mission Schoolhouse for African American Children
| — | Walter Jones Historical Park | — |
This is the last remaining one-room schoolhouse in Duval County, built in 1898 on the St. Joseph’s Church property at the corner of Loreto and Old St. Augustine Roads. It was part of the community school begun in 1868 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, a Roman Catholic religious order from Le Puy, France.
While the school was open to all students, the Sisters’ mission was established with a particular focus on providing new educational opportunities for black children. The schoolhouse was one of several built over the years specifically for the school’s black students, who were not taught alongside white students due to racial prejudice.
It is not known how long the schoolhouse remained in use. In 1943, the building was given to Nathaniel Long, an employee of St. Joseph’s Academy. After his death, it was sold to a private owner, relocated and restored. Finally, as part of a community effort to save the building, it was moved in January 2015 to its present location.
Erected by Mandarin Historical Society and the State of Florida Department of Historical Resources.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in
this page online
Location. 30° 9.918′ N, 81° 38.772′ W. Marker is in Jacksonville, Florida, in Duval County. It is in Mandarin. It is at the intersection of Mandarin Road and County Dock Road, on the left when traveling north on Mandarin Road. located on Mandarin Road intersection of County Dock Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11964 Mandarin Road, Jacksonville FL 32223, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Florida’s First Coast. It is also in the American South and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, 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 distance of this marker: 1876 Barn (about 400 feet away,
Also see . . .
1. Walter Jones Historical Park. Mandarin Museum & Historical Society website entry (Submitted on April 23, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. Black History Month: St. Joseph’s Mission Schoolhouse for African-American Children. Hot 99.5 website entry (Submitted on November 29, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 23, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 664 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 23, 2021, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
