Lithonia in DeKalb County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Bruce Street School
A Lasting Legacy
Photographed by Tracy Andersen Roberts, September 10, 2025
1. Bruce Street School marker close up
The remains of the Lithonia Negro School stand as a reminder of the power of community and education.
Beyond the Ruins
What you see before you are the remaining pieces of the historic Bruce Street School. It looks different from the days when the children filled classrooms and Mrs. Ada Beck prepared lunch in the buildings basement, but the schools legacy stands strong. Once called the Lithonia Negro School, the Bruce Street School was the first public school for Black students in DeKalb County. But it wasnt just a place to learn arithmetic and play sportsit was a light in Lithonia that brought the community together and helped students shine far beyond their time in school.
Community Classes
After the Civil War and into the early 20th century, Black students in rural places like Lithonia had very few options for education because of segregation and racial discrimination. Concerned citizens organized classes in community spaces like churches, and teachers led instruction with few or no resources for schoolbooks and supplies. Here in Lithonia, children attended school at Antioch Baptist Church and St. Paul AME.
this page online
The School That Community Built
In 1922, concerned citizens formed the Yellow River Grammar School to gave Lithonia students a permanent place to learn and thrive. This school stood behind Union Missionary Church for over ten years until it burned in 1935, most likely by white supremacists. Despite the devastation and ongoing fears of racially motivated violence, the community came together once again to keep the kids learning and engaged. Five faculty members led classes in a temporary space while the community worked to raise funds to build a permanent school. The Yellow River School Board of Trustees and the PTA raised enough money to purchase the 6 acres of land you're standing on for $400 (that's over $8,000 today). They raised even more money to construct a sturdy, granite-lad building on this site, which opened in 1938.
(captions)
Efforts are underway to stabilize and bring life back to what remains of the historic Bruce Street School. You can learn how to help by visiting arabiaalliance.org/brucestreet or by scanning the QR code below. DeKalb History Center
Students from nearby Flat Rock stand in front of the Flat Rock Methodist Episcopal Church, where they also attended school. Their teacher, Mrs. Frankie Hardie (far right) later taught at the Bruce Street School. Flat Rock Archives.
With granite all around and plenty of skilled local stoneworkers, its no surprise that the Bruce Street School was clad in granite. In fact, oral history accounts tell us that local quarrymen worked on their days off to build the school. Courtesy Georgia Archives, Vanishing Georgia Collection
Topics.
Photographed by Tracy Andersen Roberts, September 10, 2025
2. Bruce Street School marker,mid-range
Location. 33° 42.92′ N, 84° 5.926′ W. Marker is in Lithonia, Georgia, in DeKalb County. It is on Bruce Street north of Walker Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2449 Bruce St, Lithonia GA 30058, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Piedmont and in Metro Atlanta. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Lynching in America / Mob Violence in Lithonia (approx. 0.7
Photographed by Tracy Andersen Roberts, September 10, 2025
3. Bruce Street School marker, long-range
Also see . . . Bruce Street School.
Built through a grassroots community effort, the Bruce Street School was the first African American public school in DeKalb County and likely one of the first in the state (of Georgia).(Submitted on September 10, 2025, by Tracy Andersen Roberts of Atlanta, Georgia.)
Photographed by Tracy Andersen Roberts, September 10, 2025
4. Bruce Street School ruins
Photographed by Tracy Andersen Roberts, September 10, 2025
5. Bruce Street School ruins
Photographed by Tracy Andersen Roberts, September 10, 2025
6. Bruce Street School warning sign
Posted
Warning
This Building is
Condemned & Hazardous
No Trespassing
The City of Lithonia
Credits. This page was last revised on September 14, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 10, 2025, by Tracy Andersen Roberts of Atlanta, Georgia. This page has been viewed 184 times since then and 88 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 10, 2025, by Tracy Andersen Roberts of Atlanta, Georgia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
