Fort Walton Beach in Okaloosa County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Brooks School
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, August 20, 2026
1. Brooks School Marker
In 1938, members of Beulah Baptist Church established the only school for Black students in Fort Walton Beach. For many years, due to racial segregation, classes were held in private homes and later within the church. In 1952, Fort Walton Beach Mayor Tom Brooks donated land adjacent to the church for a public school for Black students. The Okaloosa County School Board erected a two-room building, naming it Brooks School in his honor. In its early years, Brooks School was led by its first teachers: Bessie Corbit and Charlie H. Hill. Hill also served as its first principal. Over the years many respected Black educators from across the county contributed to the school, impacting the lives of countless students. By 1954, as the school board consolidated Black high schools in Okaloosa County, Brooks School was reorganized into Brooks Elementary School to serve younger children. Meanwhile, junior high and high school students were transferred to the newly opened Carver-Hill High School in Crestview commuting over sixty miles each day by bus until W.E. Combs High School was established in Fort Walton Beach in 1962.
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A Florida Heritage Site
Erected 2024 by The Members of Beulah Baptist Church and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-1280.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1938.
Location. 30° 24.856′ N, 86° 36.461′ W. Marker is in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, in Okaloosa County. It is at the intersection of Mc Griff Street Northeast and Carson Drive Northeast, on the right when traveling west on Mc Griff Street Northeast. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 118 Mc Griff St NE, Fort Walton Beach FL 32548, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Florida Panhandle. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, 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
Photographed by Tim Fillmon, August 20, 2026
2. Brooks School Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Beulah First Baptist Church (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bud & Dorie Day Patriots' Trail (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Mistys (approx. 0.3 miles away); Prisoner of War (approx. 0.3 miles away); Dorie's POW Negotiations (approx. 0.4 miles away); Class Action Lawsuit (approx. 0.4 miles away); St. Mary's Catholic Church (approx. 0.7 miles away); Preserving and Protecting the Mound (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Walton Beach.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 22, 2026, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 22, 2026, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.
