Aiken in Aiken County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Schofield School
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2010
1. Schofield School Marker
This school was founded by the Freedmen's Bureau shortly after the Civil War to educate freedmen, women, and children. In 1868 Martha Schofield, a Quaker from Pennsylvania, came to Aiken and began her long career as superintendent. The school soon expanded to this two-block site and combined academics with instruction in industrial, farming, and homemaking skills. The 1897 Schofield School bulletin declared, "Character building is our most important work."
(Reverse text):
Schofield School educated more than 6000 students by 1898. Many graduates became teachers and department heads here; others became successful business owners, professionals, farmers, and community leaders. In 1940 alumnus Sanford P. Bradby became its first African-American superintendent. As first a private and later a public school, Schofield has taught children of all races and creeds since 1866. The bell tower nearby once stood atop Carter Hall, built in 1882.
Erected 2001 by The Aiken County Historical Society and the Martha Schofield Historic Preservation Committee. (Marker Number 2-19.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education
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Location. 33° 33.695′ N, 81° 42.73′ W. Marker is in Aiken, South Carolina, in Aiken County. Marker is on Kershaw Street NW, on the right when traveling north. Located between Barnwell Avenue and Edgefield Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 224 Kershaw Street Northeast, Aiken SC 29801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 10 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Friendship Baptist Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Friendship (African) Baptist Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Bells and Whistles: Signaling (approx. 0.3 miles away); Fast Food: Railroad Dining (approx. 0.3 miles away); How a Steam Engine Works (approx. 0.3 miles away); City of Aiken: A Glimpse Into Our Past (approx. 0.3 miles away); Aiken First Baptist Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Defense of Aiken (approx. 0.3 miles away); Aiken Graded School (approx. 0.3 miles away); Aiken County Confederate Monument (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Aiken.
Also see . . . Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands
Photographed By Mike Stroud, March 14, 2010
2. Schofield School Marker, reverse side
Photographed By Mike Stroud, March 14, 2010
3. Schofield School Marker looking north along Kershaw Street NW
Photographed By Mike Stroud, March 14, 2010
4. Today's Schofield School
Photographed By Mike Stroud, March 14, 2010
5. Schofield School Bell tower as mentioned
Photographed By Mike Stroud, March 14, 2010
6. Schofield School Marker and Bell Tower
Credits. This page was last revised on March 28, 2017. It was originally submitted on March 20, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,593 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on March 20, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
