Allen County celebrates 101-year old Maynard ‘Colored’ Rosenwald Schoolhouse
Sign unveiling honors rich black history
SCOTTSVILLE, Ky. – One 36′ by 23′ schoolhouse is a centennial staple in Scottsville Allen County’s black history.
Historian & Allen County Kentucky African American Heritage Council Member Harris D. Overholt said, “The site here, being a school, a church and a cemetery was the center for the community of African Americans in this area east of Scottsville.”
Booker T. Washington joined Julius Rosenwald to build almost 5000 all-black Rosenwald schools just like this in the early 1900s.
These schools became known for their advanced blueprints, and floor plans way ahead of their time.
“It was a set design plan to produce facilities that would improve education within the African American population,” explained Overholt.
101 years ago, this newly built Maynard “colored” Rosenwald Schoolhouse was born.
ACKAAHC council member Mary-Garnett Richey said, “[The schoolhouse is] one of the national treasures and Allen County.”
The Allen County, Kentucky African American Heritage Council has preserved the building from deterioration, and this past Saturday the council unveiled their all-new Rosenwald schoolhouse sign.
Fellow ACKAAHC Council Member Beth Hester said, “It was an amazing community spirit… people came from out of town and we just celebrated with our mayor with our county judge…the wonder of having the school still standing here.”
Richey added, “[People came to] celebrate what this school has meant in educating black students who have been so very successful.”
This building is one of only a few hundred Rosenwald schools left standing.
Hester said, “It’s easy to imagine African American children coming to school to this one-room school with their teacher Nintha Shipley, and what kind of education that they were able to get….so in looking forward…., one of our dreams is to have restoration of the building.”
The council says they’re working toward adding the Rosenwald school to the Kentucky Historical Marker Program as well as making other areas of Allen County’s black history available to the public.
