Farish Street Historic District in Jackson in Hinds County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

Smith Robertson School

Photographed by Griot Mila, October 27, 2015

1. Smith Robertson School Marker

Inscription. Built in 1894 as Jackson's first public school for black students. Commonly known as the "Mother School," it was named for Smith Robertson, a respected community leader, and Jackson's first black city alderman. Among the school's graduates is author Richard Wright. Smith Robertson School was closed in 1971 and renovated in 1984.

Erected 2000 by Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Education. In addition, it is included in the Mississippi State Historical Marker Program series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1894.

Location. 32° 18.323′ N, 90° 11.179′ W. Marker is in Jackson, Mississippi, in Hinds County. It is in the Farish Street Historic District. It can be reached from the intersection of Bloom Street and Dr. Jessie Mosley Street. The marker is in front of what is now the Smith Robertson Museum & Cultural Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Jackson MS 39202, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Mississippi’s Natchez Trace Corridor.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once 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: Mt. Helm Baptist Church (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Mount Helm Baptist Church - Original Site (about 700 feet away); The Alamo Theatre

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(approx. 0.2 miles away); Greenwood Cemetery (approx. 0.2 miles away); Trumpet Records (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Greenwood Cemetery (approx. 0.2 miles away); Mississippi Governors Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); U.S.S. Mississippi (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jackson.

Photographed by Tom Bosse, July 1, 2017

2. Smith Robertson School Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2016, by Griot Mila of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 1,027 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 30, 2016, by Griot Mila of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on July 15, 2017, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.