Escambia County Training School
| Escambia County Training School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
8th Ave. (now Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.), Atmore, Alabama United States | |
| Information | |
| Former name | Atmore Colored School |
| Opened | 1920 |
| Closed | 1970 |
| Affiliation | Rosenwald Fund |
The Escambia County Training School (1920–1970) was a segregated training school for African-American students in Atmore in Escambia County, Alabama, United States. It was also known as the Atmore Colored School.
In 2016, the school building was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.
History
[edit]Atmore Colored School was founded in 1920. The school was located on 8th Avenue (which is now Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) between Broad Street and McGlasker.[1]
In 1925, the community raised funds, which along with the Rosenwald Fund provided means to build a six room wooden building plus a brick high school building. Around 30 years later, the school was merged with the city school. In 1969 new floors were added. The school was also known as the Rosenwald School. The last graduating class was in 1970, after integration of the public schools resulted in blacks being able to attend with whites.[2] The remaining buildings on the site were built in 1959, 1980, and 1981. The site was used for the Escambia County Middle School from 1970 to 2000.[3]
The girls basketball team won the state championship in 1951. The boys football team was undefeated in 1959. The school closed in 1970 after desegregation.
In 2019, the site was the location of a mass shooting at a graduation party.[4]
Notable alumni
[edit]- Woodrow McClain Parker, professor emeritus University of Florida
- Ulysses McBride, past president of Bishop State Community College and Reid State Technical College[5]
- Willie J. Parker, educator, coach, and author[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Escambia County Training School - Atmore, AL". Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ Garner, Andrew (November 30, 2017). "Training school gets historical recognition". Atmore Advance. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Historic Marker Dedicated At Escambia County Training School Site". December 5, 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ https://people.com/crime/alabama-high-school-graduation-party-shoot [dead link]
- ^ "Local fraternity hands out awards". Gulf Coast Media. 2017-01-11. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
- ^ "Hall of Fame to induct Willie Parker". Atmore News. 2018-04-11. Retrieved 2024-09-20.