Beauregard Parish Training School, Educational landmark in DeRidder, Louisiana.
Beauregard Parish Training School is a two-building complex located at Martin Luther King Drive and Alexander Street in DeRidder. The structures feature smooth exterior walls, bands of windows across the facades, and low-pitched roofs that reflect early 20th-century educational architecture.
The facility was constructed in 1929 by P. Olivier & Sons and operated as the main educational center for African American students in Beauregard Parish until 1941. After that period, educational activities shifted to other locations in the region.
This institution served the African American community by training teachers and educating young students in southwestern Louisiana. The school operated as a learning center where the local Black community sent their children to develop skills and knowledge.
The site is accessible from Martin Luther King Drive and Alexander Street in DeRidder. Visitors should know the buildings are currently occupied by the BeauCARE Head Start program, so access for touring may be limited depending on program activities.
This structure was the first African American-related property in southwestern Louisiana to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This recognition marked an important acknowledgment of the site's role in local Black history and education.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
