Rock Hill in York County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Durkee Training Institute
⎯⎯⎯
Chisolm Training Institute
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 18, 2026
1. Durkee Training Institute side of the marker
Durkee Training Institute. Durkee Training Institute, an African American vocational school, opened in 1932 on Crawford Rd. and moved to this site by 1937-1938. It was founded by Rock Hill native William Mason Chisolm, who named it for benefactor Rev. J. Stanley. First a girls school, it soon became coeducational and served kindergarteners through adults, many from poor families. It enrolled 200-400 pupils by the 1950s.
Chisolm Training Institute. In 1951-1952 the school was renamed Chisolm Training Institute. A graduate of Drake University and the University of Heidelburg, Chisolm served as the school's president and lived on-site. He led construction of the campus, which included several half-timbered stone buildings. The school closed around 1962, when Chisolm was killed at a country store he owned. The school no longer stands.
Erected 2022 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History, sponsored by Culture & Heritage Museums of York County. (Marker Number 46-79.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. In addition, it is included
this page online
Location. 34° 54.006′ N, 81° 1.948′ W. Marker is in Rock Hill, South Carolina, in York County. It is on Saluda Street (South Carolina Route 72/901) south of Tigler Court, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1460 Saluda St, Rock Hill SC 29730, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands and in the Olde English District. 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 original Cherokee Nation, 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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Clinton Junior College (approx. 1.2 miles away); St. Mary Catholic Church (approx. 1.2 miles away); St. Anne's Parochial School
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 18, 2026
2. Chisolm Training Institute side of the marker
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 18, 2026
3. Durkee Training Institute / Chisolm Training Institute Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 25, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 37 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 25, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
