Kennard in Houston County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Former Rosenwald School
(Now "The Little Red Schoolhouse")
Photographed By Jeff Leichsenring, April 24, 2023
1. Former Rosenwald School Marker
A symbol of Black America's pride in education, plus crusade of Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932), a Chicagoan who in 1913 began to fund school buildings for Negroes. By 1920, when this one-teacher structure was built at Ratcliff (4 miles east), Rosenwald's grants had to be matched--in this case, by Houston County funds.
Alfred Foy (1865-1944), a veteran of brush arbor and log cabin classrooms, taught in this building at Ratcliff 1920-23 and 1924-27; Miss Detroit Denman, 1923-24; Mrs. Evola Colbert Dorn, 1927-55. Their pupils' playground equipment consisted of a baseball diamond, basketball goal, mulberry tree and swing. Yet patrons--true to zeal that helped obtain the building--brought in food and saw that the children had hot lunches.
Sessions ceased in 1955 when the Ratcliff school was consolidated with Kennard Common School District No. 75. The Ratcliff building was used 1955-68 as the community center for socials and public meetings. In 1968 the "Old Rosenwald School" was moved to Kennard for use by Headstart and related programs.
Texas had a total of 518 school buildings funded by the Rosenwald Foundation--22 of them in Houston County--providing classrooms for thousands.
Erected 1973 by State Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 11241.)
Topics and series.
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Location. 31° 21.678′ N, 95° 10.8′ W. Marker is in Kennard, Texas, in Houston County. Marker is on State Highway 7, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Kennard TX 75847, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Kennard (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Baptist Church of Kennard (approx. 0.2 miles away); Hagerville Community (approx. 1.2 miles away); Community of Coltharp (approx. 1.2 miles away); Four C Mill (approx. 2.6 miles away); Ratcliff (approx. 3.2 miles away); Ratcliff CCC Camp (approx. 3.3 miles away); Stanton Cemetery (approx. 9.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kennard.
Photographed By Steve Gustafson, March 28, 2010
2. Former Rosenwald School Marker
Photographed By Steve Gustafson, March 28, 2010
3. Former Rosenwald School Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on April 25, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 6, 2010, by Steve Gustafson of Lufkin, Texas. This page has been viewed 942 times since then and 24 times this year. Last updated on July 11, 2022, by Joe Lotz of Denton, Texas. Photos: 1. submitted on April 24, 2023, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. 2, 3. submitted on April 6, 2010, by Steve Gustafson of Lufkin, Texas. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
