Palestine in Anderson County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
N. A. Banks Elementary School
Photographed by James Hulse, April 25, 2024
1. N. A. Banks Elementary School Marker
Inscription.
N. A. Banks Elementary School. . Established in 1912, N.A. Banks Elementary School served African-American children of Palestine's South End community. Initially the school served grades one through four and was named for the principal of Palestine's Lincoln High School. Nathaniel A. Banks (1854-1930) had great influence on the African-American community of Palestine, serving as Lincoln High School principal from 1898 tο 1907. He also organized the area's Colored Summer Normal School, which prepared African-American teachers in ten surrounding counties for the state teaching certification exam. Hundreds attended each summer from 1899 until about 1919, even after Banks left Palestine and the teaching profession to become a farmer., The Banks School was a two-story brick building with four classrooms. When it opened, it was the first elementary school for African-American students living south of the I&GN railroad tracks in Palestine. J.A.B. Strain was the first principal. He and teachers Alma Johnson-Stein, Leonora Howard-Robinson and Louise Scott-Updack each taught here for more than 35 years. The school added fifth and sixth grades and additional teachers in 1949, though in 1953 these grades moved to the Lincoln High School campus when the new A.M. Story High School opened. Twice a year, the school hosted meetings of the city teachers' association, an organization of African-American teachers. In May 1965, the Palestine School Board closed Banks School in accordance with desegregation guidelines. The facility operated as the Palestine Kindergarten Center under the federally-funded Headstart Program for an additional five years. The building was razed in the early 1980s. Today Banks School is remembered as the educational foundation for many in Palestine and a source of community pride.
Established in 1912, N.A. Banks Elementary School served African-American children of Palestine's South End community. Initially the school served grades one through four and was named for the principal of Palestine's Lincoln High School. Nathaniel A. Banks (1854-1930) had great influence on the African-American community of Palestine, serving as Lincoln High School principal from 1898 tο 1907. He also organized the area's Colored Summer Normal School, which prepared African-American teachers in ten surrounding counties for the state teaching certification exam. Hundreds attended each summer from 1899 until about 1919, even after Banks left Palestine and the teaching profession to become a farmer.
The Banks School was a two-story brick building with four classrooms. When it opened, it was the first elementary school for African-American students living south of the I&GN railroad tracks in Palestine. J.A.B. Strain was the first principal. He and teachers Alma Johnson-Stein, Leonora Howard-Robinson and Louise Scott-Updack each taught here for more than 35 years. The school added fifth and sixth grades and additional teachers in 1949, though in 1953 these grades moved to the Lincoln High School campus when the new A.M. Story High School opened. Twice a year, the school hosted meetings of the city teachers' association, an
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organization of African-American teachers. In May 1965, the Palestine School Board closed Banks School in accordance with desegregation guidelines. The facility operated as the Palestine Kindergarten Center under the federally-funded Headstart Program for an additional five years. The building was razed in the early 1980s. Today Banks School is remembered as the educational foundation for many in Palestine and a source of community pride.
Erected 2009 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 15919.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1965.
Location. 31° 45.121′ N, 95° 38.32′ W. Marker is in Palestine, Texas, in Anderson County. It is at the intersection of West Dye Street and South Jackson Street, on the right when traveling east on West Dye Street. The marker is located at the corner of the intersection. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 815 W Dye St, Palestine TX 75801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South and in the Piney Woods. 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 New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
3. The view of the N. A. Banks Elementary School Marker from the street
Credits. This page was last revised on May 1, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 555 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on May 1, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
