LaVilla in Jacksonville in Duval County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

"Old Stanton" High School

Photographed by Tim Fillmon

1. "Old Stanton" High School Marker

Inscription. This magnificent building was built in 1917 after the Great Fire of 1901. It replaced an earlier structure on the same site (pictured on right). The school was named for Lincoln's Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, who was instrumental in creation of the Freedmen's Bureau. Stanton High School, founded as a grade school for African-Americans after the Civil War, was expanded into the first public high school for blacks by it dynamic principal, James Weldon Johnson. After the school was destroyed in the Great Fire, Principal Johnson fought for the school to be replaced by this all-brick structure, and for its replacement to have the same priority as the similarly destroyed replacement all-white school. Through his legal expertise, Johnson also prevented Stanton from being moved or combined with other schools. New Stanton High School was moved to its current location on 13th Street in 1953, where it continues as one of the highest-ranking schools on the country. This building was briefly a vocational school.

Erected by Durkeeville Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists:

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African Americans • Disasters • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1917.

Location. 30° 19.941′ N, 81° 39.799′ W. Marker is in Jacksonville, Florida, in Duval County. It is in LaVilla. It is on West Ashley Street just west of Clay Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Jacksonville FL 32202, 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: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); T. V. Porter House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Ossachite (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named

"Old Stanton" High School Marker on the right side of picture behind a fence image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon

2. "Old Stanton" High School Marker on the right side of picture behind a fence

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (approx. ¼ mile away); The Seminole Club (approx. ¼ mile away); John Milton Bryan Simpson (approx. ¼ mile away); St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Votes for Women (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jacksonville.

Also see . . . Old Stanton High School. (Submitted on August 13, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)

Stanton High School image. Click for full size.

Spottswood Collection from Florida Memory, December 27, 1940

3. Stanton High School

Secretary of War Edwin Stanton image. Click for full size.

Library of Congress

4. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton

Published by E. & H.T. Anthony, 501 Broadway, 1862.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 13, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 531 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 13, 2023, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. 4. submitted on December 23, 2023, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.