Division Street School, Schule in den Vereinigten Staaten
Division Street School is a one-story brick building with tall windows and two classrooms, one designed for grades 1 to 3 and the other for grades 4 to 6, accommodating about 60 to 70 students. After restoration in 2002, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places and now operates as a museum with period furnishings and exhibits about Black education.
Built around 1884 after the Civil War, the school was established to provide Black children in New Albany with a learning space during the era of segregated schools. It operated until 1946, when students transferred to Griffin Street School, and the building later served military purposes before falling into disuse.
The school served as a learning center for the Black community in the Providence neighborhood, reflecting how local families valued education despite difficult circumstances. Visitors today can see how classrooms were arranged in the 1920s and understand the school's role in the broader struggle for equal access to education.
The building is easy to access in New Albany and sits near other historic sites that allow for walking tours through the area's past. The restoration has kept the structure in stable condition, making it comfortable for visitors to explore the interior classrooms and displays at their own pace.
In 1999, two local teachers including Katheryn Hickerson, who had attended the school herself, founded the Friends of Division Street School to raise funds for restoration efforts. Her personal connection to the building highlights how community members took action to preserve their own history.
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