Located in the Carver Heights neighborhood, the Springfield Terrace School started educating children in the immediate area in 1926. Influenced by the Rosenwald School design, this is the only surviving example of the one-story schools made popular in the 1920s.
It also was known as the Pearl Lee Smith School and the Oglethorpe Charter Academy.
It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.
Initially a dorm for the girls who attended the Reidville Cemale Academy, it later became a teacher age (housing for teachers). Built in 1858, it shares some simple Second Empire details. It’s mansard roof can’t be seen in these photos.
Reference: Writers’ Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of South Carolina. A history of Spartanburg county. [Spartanburg]: Band & White.
The school was built in 1914 and last used in the 1960s.
The Cedar Grove School was built in the community of Cedar Grove in 1926, and it was expanded in 1939. It served the local community until 1970.
While the building resembles a Rosenwald, it is not one. The Rosenwald Schools were publicly available. Many schools used the plans because their designs were easy to implement, and they considered using natural light when some schools may not have electricity.
It’s officially now known as the Cedar Grove Community Center. In 2019, the community reopened it after a complete restoration and began to use the auditorium for the Cedar Grove Opry. The sign on the boot says it happened the 2nd Saturday of each month. I suspect that it’s opening near the start of COVID ended the community‘s attempt to his regular entertainment at the school complex.
Sources: Dirt Roads, Country Churches and Small Towns
WMAZ news report on the school
