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| Descendents of Griffin school and community members at the marker's dedication |
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The Griffin School
In 1928, the Griffin-Spalding Board of Education dedicated ten acres to Tbuilding the “Griffin School”. Completed in 1929, it was known as “Negro Vocational High School” until 1949. It represents 1 of 243 schools built in Georgia utilizing Rosenwald Funds. The project featured four classrooms, two home economics laboratories, and a cannery building to educate high school students with job ready skills. This school has a unique floor plan but maintains the standard Tuskegee designed East to West windows. In 1950, the addition of a classroom building, gymnasium, and athletic field house established Fairmont High School. In 1957, a new Fairmont High School was constructed adjacent to this property. The last graduating class received their diplomas in 1972 before schools integrated. Restoration of the original building was made possible through the 2016 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. Our Legacy Museum was established in 2024.
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”
Dr. Booker T. Washington
Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, asked Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish Philanthropist to serve on the board of directors at Tuskegee. Their unique partnership led to the creation of the Rosenwald Fund, (1917), to support the education of African-American children in the South where rural, segregated schools severely suffered from inadequate facilities and books. The Rosenwald Fund’s school building program encouraged and helped organize local collaboration between Blacks and Whites for the common good. The Fund gave matching grants as seed money and provided technical support. Local Communities raised funds together with public funds towards school construction.
When the Rosenwald Fund closed in 1948, it had facilitated the construction of over 4,977 schools, 217 teachers' homes, and 163 shop buildings in 883 counties in 15 southern states. 1/3 of all Black children attended a Rosenwald School.
Erected 2025 by Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, Our Legacy Museum, Spalding County, Georgia Educational Prosperity Initiative / Fairmont Alumni Association / OLM Steering Committee.
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