Colemans Daytona in Daytona Beach in Volusia County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Bonner Elementary

868 George W. Ingram Boulevard

— Black Heritage Trail —

Bonner Elementary Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Stephen Thomas White, January 7, 2026

1. Bonner Elementary Marker

Inscription. Bonner Elementary, formerly known as Cypress Street Elementary School. was built in 1926 to relieve the over-crowded conditions that existed in the elementary grades of the Daytona Colored School (later Campbell Street High School and now John H. Dickerson Center. Bonner Elementary is Daytona Beach's most significant surviving historic Black grammar school and continues to serve the educational needs of the area.

Mary Evelyn Bonner (1892-1977) was a prominent educator and leading advocate for the education of Black children in Daytona Beach during the early 20th century. She advocated for a new elementary school to be constructed to serve the Black population in the fastest-growing part of the city. The school was intended to be comparable with the city's best white schools. It was built in the Mediterranean Revival style, the most popular design for buildings constructed in Florida during the land boom period. Identifying elements of the style include a rough stucco exterior, a central arched opening that leads to a recessed main entrance, a tower with a truncated hip roof, and an incised balcony with Tuscan column supports.

The school was segregated until the late 1960s. Integration caused some painful separations, spreading the close-knit Bonner Elementary students and faculty among several schools. Many Daytona Beach families included third generation recipients of a Bonner Elementary education.

Bonner was named the school's first principal, serving from 1927 to 1959. To honor her, the name was changed from Cypress Street Elementary to Bonner Elementary. Following her retirement, Ms. Bonner continued to visit the school almost daily until her death in 1977.

In 1996, Bonner Elementary was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Timeline
1892 Mary Evelyn Bonner

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Born
1926 Cypress Street Elementary School opens
1927-59 Mary Evelyn Bonner Principal
1954 Name changed to Bonner Elementary
1959
Mary Evelyn Bonner retires
2012 City built a new recreation center
To learn more about the Black Heritage Trail and additional locations, visit daytonabeach.gov/blackheritagetrail

Soul Of A Community/Light Of A Nation

Erected by City of Daytona Beach and the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1926.

Location. 29° 12.788′ N, 81° 2.368′ W. Marker is in Daytona Beach, Florida, in Volusia County. It is in Colemans Daytona. It is at the intersection of George W Engram Boulevard and Laura Street, on the right when traveling west on George W Engram Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 868 George W Engram Boulevard, Daytona Beach FL 32114, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in First Coast.

It is also

Photographed by Stephen Thomas White, January 7, 2026

2. Bonner Elementary Marker

in the American South

and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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 Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Cypress Street Elementary School (a few steps from this marker); Kelly Field and Jackie Robinson (approx. 0.2 miles away); Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Time Capsule (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Home of Mr. Harold V. Lucas, Sr. (approx. 0.4 miles away); Francis R. Keyser (approx. half a mile away); Dr. Mary Bethune (approx. half a mile away); Home of Mary McLeod Bethune (approx. half a mile away); Mary McLeod Bethune Historic Home (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Daytona Beach.

Also see . . . Bonner School. (Submitted on September 15, 2026, by Stephen Thomas White of Norfolk, Virginia.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 15, 2026, by Stephen Thomas White of Norfolk, Virginia. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 15, 2026, by Stephen Thomas White of Norfolk, Virginia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.