Old Town in Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Leon High School
Photographed By Mark Hilton, December 6, 2014
1. Leon High School Marker
Inscription.
Leon High School. . The first Leon Academy opened in 1827, three years after Tallahassee's founding, and operated until the mid-1840s. In 1869, the Leon County Board of Public Instruction established separate schools for whites and blacks. In 1871, the county opened the Leon Academy as a public school for whites and, in 1885, constructed a two-story brick building on Tennessee Street between Duval and Bronough streets. The Board of Public Instruction passed a resolution in 1903 establishing a 12-grade high school known as Leon Graded and High School. A new school was dedicated on Park Avenue in 1911. On March 27, 1927, the Board of Public Instruction purchased 31.7 acres of McDougal Pasture for $22,000. Efforts by Mode L. Stone, Tallahassee's supervising principal of public schools, and a 1935 bond referendum and a loan from the Emergency Administration of Public Works led to the construction of the present school in 1936. Architect M. Leo Elliott designed the Mediterranean Revival/Italian Renaissance style building with its distinctive barrel tile roof with wide eaves and decorative rafter tails. The school had 50 classrooms, a cafeteria, kitchen, library and an auditorium. The new Leon High School was dedicated on May 28, 1937. ,
A Florida Heritage Site.
The first Leon Academy opened in 1827, three years after Tallahassee's founding, and operated until the mid-1840s. In 1869, the Leon County Board of Public Instruction established separate schools for whites and blacks. In 1871, the county opened the Leon Academy as a public school for whites and, in 1885, constructed a two-story brick building on Tennessee Street between Duval and Bronough streets. The Board of Public Instruction passed a resolution in 1903 establishing a 12-grade high school known as Leon Graded and High School. A new school was dedicated on Park Avenue in 1911. On March 27, 1927, the Board of Public Instruction purchased 31.7 acres of McDougal Pasture for $22,000. Efforts by Mode L. Stone, Tallahassee's supervising principal of public schools, and a 1935 bond referendum and a loan from the Emergency Administration of Public Works led to the construction of the present school in 1936. Architect M. Leo Elliott designed the Mediterranean Revival/Italian Renaissance style building with its distinctive barrel tile roof with wide eaves and decorative rafter tails. The school had 50 classrooms, a cafeteria, kitchen, library and an auditorium. The new Leon High School was dedicated on May 28, 1937.
A Florida Heritage Site
Erected 2010 by the Leon
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High School Foundation and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-698.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1681.
Location. 30° 26.698′ N, 84° 16.477′ W. Marker is in Tallahassee, Florida, in Leon County. It is in Old Town. Marker is on East Tennessee Street (U.S. 90) 0.1 miles west of North Franklin Boulevard, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: East Tennessee Street, Tallahassee FL 32308, United States of America. Touch for directions.
3. Leon High School Marker looking west on Tennessee Street
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 9, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 692 times since then and 91 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on December 9, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
