Haines City in Polk County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Historic Oakland High School
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, December 23, 2017
1. Historic Oakland High School Marker
Inscription.
Historic Oakland High School. . The Oakland School opened on this site in 1928. The school accommodated first through eighth grades. It operated with funds from the county school board and the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, a charitable organization that provided access to education for African Americans in the South. Black high school students in Haines City were required to travel to schools in Bartow or Lakeland until 1930, when the Oakland School was accredited as a senior high school. Its first graduation class of four students matriculated that same year. As one of five black high schools in the county, the renamed Oakland High served students from the neighboring towns of Loughman, Davenport, Dundee, Lake Hamilton, and unincorporated northeast Polk County. The school expanded in 1952 to include a gymnasium, auditorium/cafeteria, dedicated elementary school, and industrial arts and home economics building. The campus spanned from Avenue D to Avenue E, bordered by 11th Street on the east and 8th Street on the west. After the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and public school integration, Oakland High closed in 1968. Many of the school buildings were razed in 1977, but the music building still remains as part of Oakland Neighborhood Center.
The Oakland School opened on this site in 1928. The school accommodated first through eighth grades. It operated with funds from the county school board and the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, a charitable organization that provided access to education for African Americans in the South. Black high school students in Haines City were required to travel to schools in Bartow or Lakeland until 1930, when the Oakland School was accredited as a senior high school. Its first graduation class of four students matriculated that same year. As one of five black high schools in the county, the renamed Oakland High served students from the neighboring towns of Loughman, Davenport, Dundee, Lake Hamilton, and unincorporated northeast Polk County. The school expanded in 1952 to include a gymnasium, auditorium/cafeteria, dedicated elementary school, and industrial arts and home economics building. The campus spanned from Avenue D to Avenue E, bordered by 11th Street on the east and 8th Street on the west. After the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and public school integration, Oakland High closed in 1968. Many of the school buildings were razed in 1977, but the music building still remains as part of Oakland Neighborhood Center.
Erected 2017 by The Oakland High Alumni, Inc., and the Florida Department of
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State. (Marker Number F-957.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1928.
Location. 28° 7.215′ N, 81° 37.342′ W. Marker is in Haines City, Florida, in Polk County. Marker is at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way and Avenue D Northwest, on the right when traveling south on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Note that Dr. MLK, Jr. Way has been recently changed from North 11th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1008 Dr Martin Luther King, Jr Way, Haines City FL 33844, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . Oakland High School. (Submitted on January 1, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, December 23, 2017
2. Historic Oakland High School Marker and branch police station in background.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 2, 2018. It was originally submitted on January 1, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 674 times since then and 74 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on January 1, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
