Staunton History of African American Schools

Staunton History of African American Schools. 124 West Johnson Street. , The end of the Civil War launched a new era for African American education in Staunton. Religious missionaries and agents of the Freedmen's Bureau arriving in the city found the newly freed African Americans eager to learn. Progress was rapid with children being taught by day and adults at night., 1870 , A new constitution brought segregated public education to Virginia. Staunton's Black schools suffered from inferior buildings, worn schoolbooks, and a lack of basic educational supplies. The schooling that the city's African American students received, however, was always of the highest quality because the well-trained and highly professional educators were dedicated to their students despite low pay and poor working conditions., 1915 , After years of pressure from the African American community, Staunton erected two new schools for Black children, one on West Johnson Street and the other on Sunnyside Street. The two lots and buildings cost about $18,000. The city commissioned Staunton architectural firm T.J. Collins and Son to design both structures. To reduce expenses, both buildings were veneer rather than solid brick and classrooms were furnished with used desks., This school on West Johnson Street was named D. Webster Davis School after a prominent African American civic leader and educator from Richmond. The Sunnyside school was named for the famous Black educator, Booker T. Washington., This new school included four classrooms, basement restrooms, steam heating, and a playground. The two schools shared staff with Oliver J. Derritt serving as principal at both. , , 1936 , When a new Black high school was built, the name Booker T. Washington transferred from the Sunnyside Street school to the new high school and the old school became D. Webster Davis Elementary School., This West Johnson Street school was renamed; changing from D. Webster Davis School to T.C. Edmunds in honor of the school's beloved elementary school principal who had recently died., Thomas Calvin Edmunds (1870-1933) hailed from Halifax. He taught in Virginia for more than 40 years, including 19 in Staunton where he was known as "Professor Edmunds.”, 1966 , On August 15 a dozen years after the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education that segregated schools were inherently unequal, Staunton closed its African American schools and integrated the public schools. T.C. Edmunds is now a community playground., (captions) , D. Webster Davis School was one of two African American schools built in Staunton for Black students in 1915. Originally named D. Webster Davis School, this West Johnson Street School was renamed T.C. Edmunds Elementary School in 1936., Plans drawn by the Staunton architectural firm of T.J. Collins and Son in 1915 for "the colored school" of Staunton that became known first as D. Webster Davis School, and then, from 1936-1966, as T.C. Edmunds Elementary School., Oliver J. Derritt served as principal for both of Staunton's new African American schools that opened in 1915., T.C. Edmunds (1870-1933), shown with his wife Etta above, was a beloved teacher and principal at D. Webster Davis School. In 1936, after the construction of Booker T. Washington High School, the 1915 African American school on West Johnson Street was renamed T.C. Edmunds Elementary School in his honor., A young student stands in the playground area of T.C. Edmunds Elementary School in 1955. The Sadie Cook store in the background was often visited by the students who wanted meals because there was no cafeteria at the school.