Sandy Island School
National Register Listing
Street Address:
32 Sandy Island Rd., Sandy Island, SC (Georgetown County)
NRHP Nomination
NRHP Maps
Record Number:
S10817722040
Description and Narrative:
Built in 1932, the Sandy Island School is a brick, Neoclassical Revival style structure significant for its association with African American civil rights through education and community advocacy. Until 1966, the segregated school served school age residents of Sandy Island, a 2.89-acre island located between the Waccamaw and Great Pee Dee Rivers in Georgetown County, which is still today accessibly only by boat. In addition to educating generations of Sandy Island children, the school provided adult literary and education courses, including programs in the 1950s and 60s that are believed to have been part of the Citizenship School movement, an effort to promote voter registration and political activism among African Americans across the South. Sandy Island School is also significant for its association with Prince Washington, a local leader who served as the unincorporated community’s unofficial “mayor” and played an important role in promoting the education of island residents, including the original construction of Sandy Island School. Sandy Island School is also significant for its use of Neoclassical architecture, an unusual design for a segregated Black school of its era. Listed in the National Register October 5, 2020.
Period of Significance:
1932 – 1966
Level of Significance:
Local
Area of Significance:
Ethnic Heritage: Black;Social History;Education;Architecture
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
October 5 2020
