Brumfield High School, formerly G. W. Brumfield School, was a segregated public high school for African American students built in 1925 and closed in 1990; located in Natchez, Mississippi.[1]
Brumfield High School | |
Mississippi Landmark No. 001-NAT-0968-NR-ML[2] | |
.jpg) Brumfield High School building (2019) | |
  | |
| Location | 100 St. Catherine Street, Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 31°33′27″N 91°23′33″W / 31.557382°N 91.392528°W |
| Built | 1925 |
| Architect | William Steintenroth |
| NRHP reference No. | 93001139[1] |
| USMS No. | 001-NAT-0968-NR-ML[2] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 21, 1993 |
| Designated USMS | January 7, 1993 |
It has been listed as a Mississippi Landmark since January 7, 1993;[2] and as a National Register of Historic Place for architecture, education, and cultural heritage since October 21, 1993.[1]
History
editThe first African American public school in the city of Natchez was Union School, built in 1871.[1][3] However Union School (K-12 public school) only had 13 rooms and could not accommodate the demand.[3] By 1925, Brumfield High School was opened to alleviate the overcrowding issues.[3] Natchez High School (at 64 Homochitto Street, a former location) was built a few years after Brumfield School in 1927, and was specifically designed as a public high school for white students-only.[1]
The Brumfield High School was a two-story brick brick building designed by architect William Steintenroth in a Classical Revival style.[1][4] The school namesake was George Washington Brumfield (1866–1927) who had taught classes at the Union School and served as a principal, after his arrival to Natchez in the 1890s.[1][5][6] Brumfield was also the Sunday school teacher at Zion Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (Zion Chapel AME Church), located near the campus.[1] In 1935, the graduating class was 40 students.[7]
In 1970, Brumfield School remained racially segregated at the classroom-level, with white students and white teachers in one room versus black students with a black teachers in another.[8] The school was closed in 1990, and the city invested one million dollars into converting the former school campus into apartments for welfare recipients, the Brumfield School Apartments.[9][10]
See also
edit- National Register of Historic Places listings in Adams County, Mississippi
- History of Natchez, Mississippi
- Natchez Junior College, historically black college opened in 1884
- Rhythm Club fire, 1940 event that occurred near Brumfield School
- Murder of Wharlest Jackson, a Natchez event in 1967
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Brumfield High School". National Park Service. Retrieved January 10, 2023. With accompanying pictures
- ^ a b "Mississippi Landmarks" (PDF). Mississippi Department of Archives and History. May 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 9, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Abandoned High School in Mississippi". Historic Structures. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ^ "Brumfield High School". NPGallery Digital Asset Management System.
- ^ "Board of Aldermen". Natchez Democrat. 1902-06-07. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
G. W. Brumfield, principal
- ^ "Natchez to Have New High School". Clarion-Ledger. 1928-01-19. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ "Brumfield School Has Graduation". Clarion-Ledger. 1935-06-02. p. 12. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ "Natchez Black Leaders Score School Plan". The Los Angeles Times. 1970-01-18. p. 82. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ "City becomes model of urban renewal". Clarion-Ledger. 1995-07-09. p. 33. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
- ^ "Three Towns Most Livable". The Clarksdale Press Register. 1995-06-29. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
External links
edit
Media related to Brumfield High School (Natchez, Mississippi) at Wikimedia Commons