St. George Rosenwald School
National Register Listing
Street Address:
205 Ann St., St. George, SC (Dorchester County)
Alternate Name:
St. George Colored High School, St. George Colored School, St.
George High School, Williams Memorial High School
NRHP Nomination
Maps
Record Number:
S10817718013
Description and Narrative:
The St. George Rosenwald School is a one story, H-shaped, wood-framed building originally built in 1925 according to the Rosenwald Fund’s Community School Plan “Floor Plan No. 6-A” for a six teacher school. Later additions to the building added five additional rooms: one room to each wing c. 1935, two rooms to the southwestern wing c. 1950, and one room to the northeastern wing c. 1954. The St. George Rosenwald School served as a school from its opening in 1925 to its closing in 1954, providing important educational services during the period of Jim Crow when discriminatory state funding meant that African American children had far fewer educational opportunities. During its use as a school, it was also an important part of the Black community of St. George, serving as a meeting and gathering place for the local neighborhood. After it closed, the school continued to be utilized as a community center, used for both social events and political events, including classes and meetings held by the Congress of Racial Equality in 1965. It is significant for its contributions to the history of African American education and community organizing related to the Civil Rights Movement. It is further significant for its architecture, which is representative of the distinctive styles created by the Rosenwald Fund’s Fletcher Dresslar and Samuel Smith. One of only two Rosenwald Schools built in Dorchester County, it is the only one that survives today. Listed in the National Register October 2, 2018.
Period of Significance:
1925 – 1965
Level of Significance:
Local
Area of Significance:
Architecture;Education;Ethnic Heritage: Black
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
October 2 2018
