Newly added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1922, the Abbeville County Training School was also known as the Branch Street School. The site is overgrown and difficult to photograph because there are storage buildings in front of the school. There are current plans to turn this into housing and a Black History Museum.
Booker T. Washington was an educator, speaker, author, and benefactor. He was the first president of Tuskegee University when it was known as Tuskegee Institute. His accomplishments are numerous. From working with Julius Rosenwald to start the fund for Rosenwald schools to traveling the world to speak on issues that impacted the Black community, Washington was a tireless advocate for change. Many members of the Black community supported his belief that the focus should be on education and wealth accumulation. Whereas there were those, who disagreed with him and felt that he bowed to white interests by not pushing forward an agenda based on civil rights and political representation.
“The Oaks” is a large Victorian that sits next to campus. Tuskegee’s students helped build the home that Washington and his family moved into in 1900.
In 1915, Booker T. Washington passed away. It was believed that he died from congestive heart failure and kidney disease that was caused by the stress of his work (later examination of his medical records indicated that he was suffering from very high blood pressure). Over 8,000 people attended his funeral. He is buried in the campus’s cemetery, which is next to the Chapel.
Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church and School were founded in 1916 and 1922, respectively. The school is the only Rosenwald school that is still standing in Macon County, Alabama.
The church and school were one of the locations during the Tuskegee Syphilis Study where participants were told to meet so the United States Public Health Service officials could pick them up for treatment or lack thereof.
The church and school were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. The school went under restoration in 2011.
Georgia. Department of Education. Annual report of the Department of Education to the General Assembly of the State of Georgia . Atlanta, Ga.: State Printer.
The Vienna County Training School, also known as the Vienna High and Industrial School or Vienna School, was built in 1926 for $17,000. It was built in the six-teach type community plan. The school was in use until 1970. From 1970 to 2004, the building was used for a state-funded program. A larger, more modern school was added behind the main building in 1954.
At first glance, this seems to a be a Rosenwald School, but it doesn’t have the hallmark bays of windows. There are Rosenwald Schools that deviate from Rosenwald plans, and there are many schools that used the plans because of their efficient designs.
I agree with the assessments made by Random Connections and the South Carolina Picture Project. Shiloh Baptist Church does share the property with the school. The oral history of any older church members would be needed to verify.
The Rosenwald database is currently down and is anticipated to return in the Summer of 2023. While the site is being revamped, it may not have additional info. I did search some out-of-print books on South Carolina education and Rosenwald schools and found nothing.
