Kingstree in Williamsburg County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Tomlinson School
Photographed By Dave W, May 20, 2023
1. Tomlinson School Marker, Side One
Formerly enslaved African Americans built the first Tomlinson School in 1866. Overseen by the Freedmen’s Bureau, it was the first Black public school in Williamsburg County. Tomlinson School was located at this site by 1924, when it moved into a new 2-story facility funded by the school district, the Julius Rosenwald Fund, and local African Americans, whose contributions allowed for the construction of a brick rather than wood frame school building.
For decades, Tomlinson High and Graded School was the center of Black education in Williamsburg County. A white brick high school and library building opened in 1935. It was later demolished. A gymnatorium was added in 1941 and burned in 1994. Major additions were made c.1954 with funding from the S.C. equalization program, which upgraded Black schools to preserve segregation. Tomlinson closed in 1970 as part of the integration of Williamsburg Co. schools.
Erected 2021 by Tomlinson Alumni, Inc. and WeGOJA Foundation. (Marker Number 45-26.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1924.
Location. 33° 40.151′ N, 79° 49.227′ W. Marker is in Kingstree, South Carolina
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. "Let Us March on Ballot Boxes" (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); John Witherspoon (approx. ¼ mile away); Captain Roger Gordon (approx. ¼ mile away); Stephen A. Swails House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Benevolent Societies Hospital (approx. 0.4 miles away); St. Alban’s Episcopal Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); Kingstree: Gathering Vital Intelligence (approx. 0.7 miles away); Williamsburg Church (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kingstree.
Photographed By Dave W, May 20, 2023
2. Tomlinson School Marker, Side Two
Photographed By Dave W, May 20, 2023
3. Tomlinson School Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 21, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. This page has been viewed 159 times since then and 65 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 21, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
