Luray in Page County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Andrew Jackson School
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 12, 2023
1. Andrew Jackson School Marker
The Andrew Jackson School, named for a local Black entrepreneur, was built here in 1924-25 to serve African American students. The Black community raised half of the $5,467 cost of the three-classroom building. Additional support came from the county and from Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck, and Co., who had partnered with Booker T. Washington in a school-building campaign and later established the Rosenwald Fund. which helped build about 5,000 schools for African Americans in the South. Before closing in 1959, Andrew Jackson offered education through the 11th grade, but Black students had to leave the county for 12th grade. Page County schools were desegregated in 1966.
Erected 2022 by Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number C-38.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Civil Rights • Education. In addition, it is included in the Rosenwald Schools, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1924.
Location. 38° 39.888′ N, 78° 28.364′ W. Marker is in Luray, Virginia, in Page County. Marker is on West Main Street (Business U.S.
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bethany Veney (approx. ¼ mile away); Revolutionary War Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Page County Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Fort Philip Long (approx. half a mile away); Chinkapin Oak (approx. half a mile away); The World's First Bluegrass Festival (approx. half a mile away); The Luray Valley Museum (approx. half a mile away); White House Ferry (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Luray.
Also see . . .
1. Historical marker unveiled at former Andrew Jackson School.
(8/13/2022) More than 50 people gathered in front of the West Luray Recreation Center (known as “TheREC”) on Saturday afternoon for the unveiling of a historical maker honoring the building’s previous life as a school for black students in Page County. On Jan. 12, 1926, the Andrew Jackson School replaced “School No. 5” that sat adjacent to St. John’s Church and opened its doors to black students in grades 1 through 7. The school board added one grade each year until they reached the 11th grade — where they(Submitted on June 12, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)stopped.Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 12, 20232. Andrew Jackson School Marker(looking northwest from West Main Street • Historic Andrew Jackson School Museum / West Luray Recreation Center in right background)
2. Living Legacy – The Story.
Until the late 1950s black children living in Luray could not graduate high school at the Andrew Jackson school. They had to attend one of several boarding schools for black children. Some students from Luray went to a boarding school in Manassas, Virginia. Others went to DC, New Jersey, New York and other distant locations. It took determination and resolve of both students and parents for black children to graduate from high school.(Submitted on June 12, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. New documentary shown on the history of the Andrew Jackson School House in Luray.
(6/23/2021) On Wednesday night, the first-of-its-kind documentary on the local history of the Andrew Jackson School House and its students premiered at the W. Luray Recreation Center. It’s called Heritage and Legacy and tells the story’s of different generations of students who were connected to the old school house who still live in Luray.(Submitted on June 12, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
4. New Luray Museum Honors Black History.
Housed within the current West Luray Recreation Center, the museum pays tribute to former teachers, former(Submitted on June 12, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)students and the continuing legacy of a small rural school that educated young black minds in an era where nothing came easy. The Andrew Jackson School originated in 1924. In an era (and area) where a public school education was only available to white students, the three-room school was the product of substantial fundraising by community members.Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 12, 20233. Andrew Jackson School Marker(looking northeast from West Main Street • Historic Andrew Jackson School Museum / West Luray Recreation Center in left background)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 12, 2023
4. Andrew Jackson School Museum / West Luray Recreation Center
Credits. This page was last revised on June 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 12, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 106 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 12, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
