George W. Adair Elementary School
Throughout its more than 140-year history, the Atlanta Public School System has undergone significant growth, expanding from just six schools in 1872 to well over 40 schools by the twentieth century. While much attention has been paid to the first schools established…
Keep readingAshby Street Elementary School
Ashby Street SchoolDates Active: 1911 – 1994Location: 197 Lee Street, SW AtlantaNeighborhood: Historic Washington Park District Ashby Street Origins In its early years, Ashby Street School emerged in 1911 as an institution exclusively serving the white community, nestled within what would soon be…
Keep readingBattle Hill School
Battle Hill SchoolDates Active: Early 1900s? – Summer 1956Location: Formerly located at the corner of Laurel Avenue and Archer Street (38 Joe Johnson Avenue)Neighborhood: Mozley Park Civil War Roots Originally known as Battle Hill, the area now referred to as the Mozley…
Keep readingBoys High School
Boys High SchoolDates Active: January 1872 – 1947Location: 63 Courtland Street Boys Will Be Boys Boys High School endured a very unstable past from its inception to the time that it ultimately was converted into a coed facility in the late 1940s. Before…
Keep readingBell Street School
Bell Street SchoolDates Active: 1900 – 1940Location: 78 Bell Street, Atlanta, GANeighborhood: ? Bell Street Elementary opened in September 1900 in hopes of reviving the overcrowding of Ivy Street, Calhoun Street, and Marietta Street schools. Similarly to Ashby Street School, Bell Street…
Keep readingBoulevard School
Boulevard SchoolDates Active: 1888 – 1922Location:? Neighborhood: Fourth Ward Boulevard of Broken Dreams in 1887 children residing near Boulevard in the Fourth Ward district were without a school to call their own. Due to lack of accessibility to neighboring streets, Fourth Ward children were…
Keep readingCalhoun Street School
Calhoun School Opening Date: 1883Location: 395 Calhoun Street (now Piedmont Avenue)Neighborhood: Downtown The Calhoun Street School was erected in 1883, with a capacity of 443, at least eleven years after the first APS schools opened in the winter of 1872. Keeping with the…
Keep readingCarrie Steele Logan Orphanage
Carrie Steele Logan Orphanage Dates Active: 1888 – 1963(?)Location: 301 E. Fair Street (E. Fair Street is now known as Memorial Drive) Though not a traditional school in the sense of an Atlanta Public School system school, the Carrie Steele Logan Orphanage gets…
Keep readingCenter Hill Elementary School
Center Hill Elementary School Dates Active: September 1934 – 1983?Location: Unknown Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed an elementary school for African-American students in the Fall of 1934. Not much else is known about Center Hill other than it was included in the…
Keep readingCooper Street School
Cooper Street SchoolDates Active: 1922 – 1973Location:Neighborhood: Mechanicsville Servicing the diverse working-class Mechanicsville neighborhood, Cooper Street School was built to accommodate the overcrowding of the Formwalt school. Obviously, this post is rather short due to limited historic data about Cooper Street School.…
Keep readingCraddock School
Craddock SchoolDates Active: 1889 – August 12, 1982Location: The Craddock school was a primarily African-American school dating back to the 1880’s. However, Craddock Elementary was known by another name prior to being renamed in 1954 after Robert Lee Craddock in 1954, after…
Keep readingHoward, David T. School
David T. Howard HighschoolDates Active: 1923 – 1976Address: 551 John Wesley Dobbs Ave, Atlanta, GA 30312Neighborhood: Old Fourth Ward Anyone passing through the Old Fourth Ward area of Atlanta couldn’t help but notice the large, brick building occupying a large plot of land on…
Keep readingEast Atlanta Elementary school
East Atlanta SchoolDates Active: 1909 – 1995Location: 23 Metropolitan AvenueNeighborhood: East Atlanta The East Atlanta School was erected during a time where the neighborhood of East Atlanta began experiencing an explosion of growth. New subdivisions, public library, and fine stores began to…
Keep readingEnglish Commercial High
English Commercial High SchoolDates Active: 1889 – 1947Location: Formerly located at 138 Pryor StreetNeighborhood: South Downtown Atlanta AreaCommercial High School’s history is littered with instability. While most early APS schools moved several times before settling in a permanent location, Commerical High School…
Keep readingEnglish Avenue Elementary School
English Avenue ElementaryDates Active: 1891 – 1995Location: 95 English AvenueNeighborhood: English Avenue English Avenue was established in 1891 as an all-white neighborhood, with Vine City being the neighboring, all black neighborhood. English Avenue elementary was built to serve the working class, all-white neighborhood…
Keep readingFraser Street School
Fraser Street SchoolDates Active: February 1, 1891 – ?Address: Fraser and Love streetsNeighborhood: Summerhill (2nd or 3rd ward) Fraser Street Elementary first opened its doors during the frigid month of February 1, 1891. Headed by Mrs. A.H. Smith who formerly managed the…
Keep readingFair Street Elementary
Fair Street ElementaryDates Active: 1880 – 1980Location: 362 E. Fair Street (now Moreland Ave)Neighborhood: ? Fair Street Grammar school has had, by all accounts, an enduring history that would ultimately see many changes, similar to the city of which it resides. The…
Keep readingJohn F. Faith School
John F. FaithDates Active: 1922 – 1970’s?Address: 1043 Memorial Dr SE, Atlanta, GA 30316Neighborhood: East Atlanta If you have ever traveled in the city of Atlanta, you have traveled down Memorial Drive at some point in your commute. It is hard to ignore…
Keep readingEdgewood Elementary School
Edgewood Elementary SchoolDates Active: 1892 – CurrentLocation: Edgewood Avenue, Atlanta, GANeighborhood: Edgewood The Edgewood Avenue Elementary School manages to remain in operation 125 years after its initial opening. While it currently operates as housing for Inman Park residents (13 lofts), it is…
Keep readingGray Street Elementary School
Gray Street SchoolDates Active: 1889 – 1958Location: 448 Gray Street (corner of Kennedy Street)Neighborhood: Sweet Auburn Gray Street School was among one of the first APS schools dedicated specifically to African-American Atlantans. Its beautiful brick exterior was described as one of the finest schools in…
Keep readingGeorgia Avenue School
Georgia Avenue SchoolDates Active: 1910 – 1961Location: 42 W. Georgia AvenueNeighborhood: Built in 1911, the Georgia Avenue school’s student body initially began as predominately white. By 1955 it would ultimately be known as a predominately black school. It would be renamed in 1961 to honor…
Keep readingGirl’s High School
Girl’s High SchoolDates Active: Feb. 5, 1872 – 1945?Location: Original location was downtown Atlanta; later moved to Grant Park in 1924 (Rosalia Street, Atlanta, GA 30312)Neighborhood: Historic Grant Park Girl’s High School, originally located at 66 Whitehall Street on the corner of Whitehall…
Keep readingGordon, John B.
Gordon, John B.Dates Active:1923(?)- 1995Address: 1205 Metropolitan Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30316Neighborhood: East AtlantaFurther Reading: https://www.aiaga.org/forgotten-aps-john-b-gordon-elementary/ The new John B. Gordon elementary opened in East Atlanta to an enthusiastic community. Originally, the school would be simply named East Atlanta School after the community it serviced. …
Keep readingGrant Park School
Grant Park SchoolDates Active:1904 – 1984Address:400 S. BoulevardNeighborhood: Grant Park Grant Park school first opened its doors in 1903 (newer location built in 1929 and opened in 1930). The original Grant Park School would be demolished for the construction of the I-20 interstate…
Keep readingHill Street School
Hill Street SchoolDates Active: 1911-?Address:Neighborhood: Historic Grant Park Built in 1911, the Hill Street School’s foundation was constructed of Georgia marble with its cornerstone laid by the local Masonic lodge – a common practice for 1911 schools of the time. The school cost $83,000…
Keep readingHighland Elementary School
Highland SchoolDates Active: Address: 978 Highland Avenue (1940’s address)Neighborhood: Virginia – Highland Construction began in 1911 as one of the 8 new structures planned for construction in 1911. Of the ten, it was considered to be the most impressive and most beautiful. The Highland…
Keep readingHoke Smith High School
Hoke Smith Junior HighDates Active: 1947-1985Address: 535 Hill Street, Atlanta, GA 30312Neighborhood: Historic Grant Park Located near the current location of MLK Middle School in Grant Park, Hoke Smith Junior High School’s original building is, unfortunately, no longer in existence since approximately 2016 when…
Keep readingHome Park School
Home Park SchoolDates Active: 1911 –Address: State and Home Park Avenue (in 1940)Neighborhood: Home Park Home Park School was opened in 1911 and it was built upon donated land. The land was donated to the 8th ward neighborhood by Hugh Richardson. The school was built…
Keep readingIvy Street Grammar School
Ivy Street SchoolDates Active: Jan. 31, 1872 – 1961?Location: 195 Ivy Street (in 1923)Neighborhood: ? The first school to be erected in 1872 was the Ivy Street school which opened January 31, 1872, one month before the Crew Street School which opened February 14, 1872. Upon the…
Keep readingIra Street School
Ira Street SchoolDates Active: 1885 – 1951Location: Former Location was 123 Ira Street (between Crumley and Richardson Street)Neighborhood: Mechanicsville The Ira Street School, one of Atlanta Public Schools first public grammar school to open to the public, was built in the working class neighborhood of…
Keep readingJerome Jones Elementary School
Jerome Jones SchoolDates Active: 1903 –Address: 649 Home Avenue, S.E. Atlanta, GANeighborhood: ? Jerome Jones School was formerly known as South Boulevard school, where construction began December 23, 1903, on the corner of Dekalb and South Boulevard. South Boulevard school was erected in…
Keep readingKirkwood School
Kirkwood SchoolDates Active: 1910 – 1995Address: 138 Kirkwood Road, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30317Neighborhood: KirkwoodArchitectural Styles/Type: Colonial Revival/Modern Movement Writing about this school was particularly interesting as I once lived in the Kirkwood neighborhood for ten years until gentrification made affordability impossible. Fun factoid, the movie Mrs.…
Keep readingKingsberry School
Kingsberry SchoolAddress: 627 English Ave (in 1940)Dates Active: 1911 – 1950Neighborhood: English AvenueName Change: Name changed to English Avenue Elementary School in 1950 As one of the eight new schools constructed in 1911 from 1910 allocated bond funds ($600,000 in 1910) the Kingsberry School was…
Keep readingMoreland Avenue School
Moreland Avenue SchoolDates Active: 1913 – 1982Address: 1083 Austin Ave NE (current) – 128 N. Moreland Ave (original address)Neighborhood: Little 5 Points The origins of the Moreland Avenue School are a bit confusing as it appears that the school was once located at 128 North Moreland…
Keep readingMarietta Street School
Marietta Street SchoolDates Active: 1970’s? – the mid-1920’s?Address: 271 Marietta StreetNeighborhood: Downtown Atlanta Marietta Street School’s original building was most likely built in the late 1870’s. In 1901, instructors complained of the dangerous conditions of the school and considered labeling as condemned. Some wrestled with…
Keep readingMitchell Street School
Mitchell Street SchoolDates Active: 1882 –Address: 249 W. Mitchell StreetNeighborhood: Downtown Atlanta Race and OpportunityFor African-American inhabitants of Atlanta, there weren’t nearly as many school options as there were for white Atlantans. Most African-American schools were built of poor materials, contained dark and dank classrooms,…
Keep readingMilton Avenue School
Milton Avenue SchoolDates Active: 1915 – 1983Address: 202 Milton Avenue, S.E., Atlanta, GANeighborhood: Chosenwood The history of Milton Avenue Elementary School is a story of overcoming difficulties and reinventing yourself. Milton Avenue School, located in the historic Chosenwood neighborhood ( apart of the much beloved…
Keep readingMeans High School
Means High SchoolDates Active: 1878 – 1900Address: Corner of Church and Forsyth street (1879)Neighborhood/District: Fairlie – Popular Means High School officially opened September 15, 1878, near downtown Atlanta. By late 1889, Means High would be reorganized and therefore renamed to The Gordon School, after Governor…
Keep readingNorth Avenue School
North Avenue SchoolDates Active:1922 – 1983?Address: 229 E. North Ave (1920’s address) North Avenue School, also known as North Avenue Presbyterian School, was located in the Fulton County city of Hapeville. Its location differs from the earlier APS schools as they mostly appeared…
Keep readingPeeples Street School
Peeples Street SchoolDates Active: 1910’s? – 1982Address: 161 Peeples StreetNeighborhood: West End Locating information for Peeples Street School was incredibly difficult, surprisingly. According to the sources available, it appears that the school opened somewhere between 1910 – 1915. The school itself was located…
Keep readingPryor Street School
Pryor Street SchoolDates Active: 1906 – 1983(?)Address: 635 Pryor Street, Atlanta, GA Established in 1906, the new Pryor Street School housed over 300 pupils during its opening in the fall of 1906. The school would educate students from first grade to the seventh grade;…
Keep readingRoach Street School
Roach Street SchoolDates Active: 1891 –Address: 569 M.L.K. Jr Dr NW Atlanta, GA 30318Neighborhood: Vine CityName Change: Roach-Mitchell Street School; E.A. Ware Elementary Roach Street School, established in 1891 was the only school for African-American students that did not open with all 7 grades. Located near…
Keep readingSlaton, W.F. School
W.F. Slaton SchoolDates Active: 1908 – 1996Address: 688 Grant St SE, Atlanta, GA 30315; corner of Pavilion Ave.Neighborhood: Historic Grant Park William F. Slaton Grammar School opened March 9, 1908, to great fanfare. The contemporary school was named for Major William Franklin Slaton (b. 1831-…
Keep readingSummer Hill School
Summer HillDates Active: 1867 – 1980’sAddress: 208 Martin & Richardson StreetsNeighborhood: Summer Hill Despite being declared the city’s oldest school, I found it very challenging to find in-depth articles about the Summerhill School. In 1897, the Atlanta Constitution declared the Summerhill School to be…
Keep readingSpring Street School
Spring StreetDates Active: 1917 – 1972Address: 1404 Spring St NW, Atlanta, GA 30309Neighborhood: Ansley Park Rural Atlanta’s Beacon of Hope Spring Street Grammar School had a rocky start. Residents of Ansley Park for which the school serves complained to the school board for years…
Keep readingState Street School
State StreetDates Active: 1891 – ?Address: 840 McMillan Street, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332-0155Neighborhood: Home Park State Street School, along with the Fraser Street School, opened their doors February 8, 1891, to a healthy crowd of about 600 students per school. With each passing year, the…
Keep readingStewart Avenue School
Stewart Ave Grammar SchoolDates Active: ?Address: ?Neighborhood: Stewart Avenue school actually started in the early 1910’s as a portable school with no permanent building. By 1925 discussions were made to consider building a permanent location for white students in the Stewart Avenue…
Keep readingStorr’s School for Colored Children
Storrs School for Colored ChildrenDates Active: 1865 – 1930’sAddress: 110 Houston StreetNeighborhood: Sweet Auburn Storrs School is difficult to locate on the Sanborn maps mostly because it began as somewhat of a private school inside of the First Congregational Church in downtown Atlanta. Originally located…
Keep readingTenth Street School
Tenth Street SchoolDates Active: 1906 – 1962Address: 140 Tenth StreetNeighborhood: Midtown The origins of the neighborhood where Tenth Street School once called home, was a tale of rags to riches. In the post- Civil War era (circa 1867), the Tenth Street area was once referred…
Keep readingWalker Street School
Walker Street SchoolDates Active: February 21, 1872 – January 1983Address: 11 Walker Street – Walker Street is now Centennial Olympic Drive (from North Avenue south to around Mitchell Street)Neighborhood: Atlanta Public School’s First Walker Street School was the third of the first wooden grammar…
Keep readingWashington, Booker T. High School
Washington, Booker T.Dates Active: 1924 – PresentAddress: 45 Whitehouse Dr. SW, Atlanta, GA 30314Neighborhood/District: West End Writing about Booker T. Washington high school is particularly interesting for me for two reasons: the historical significance of the school concerning African-Americans, and the fact that my family members…
Keep readingWestern Heights School
Western Heights SchoolDates Active: 1910 – 1950 (?)Address: Northeast corner of English Ave. and Pelham St.Neighborhood: Western Heights The Western Heights School belonged to the predominantly working-class neighborhood of Western Heights. The area was heavily segregated with African-Americans designated to the Simpson Road area,…
Keep readingWest End School
West End SchoolDates Active: 1894 – ?Address: Peeples Street near Gordon StreetNeighborhood: West End The West End School was incorporated into the Atlanta Public School system when the West End neighborhood became annexed into the City of Atlanta, January 1, 1894. Due to gross…
Keep readingWhitefoord Avenue School
Whitefoord Avenue SchoolDates Active: 1922 – 2002(?)Address: 35 Whitefoord Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30317Neighborhood: Edgewood Whitefoord Avenue school (apart of the 11th Ward) was created to relieve congestion at the nearby Faith, Edgewood, Kirkwood and East Atlanta elementary schools. Classes began in 1922, in rented portable facilities…
Keep readingWilliams Street School
Williams Street SchoolDates Active: 1896 – 1949Address: 116 Williams Street and 595 Fowler Street (1950)Neighborhood: Renamed: Williams Street School to Fowler Street School The Williams Street School open in 1893 with only 3 rooms; two more rooms would be added by 1902 due to the increase…
Keep readingLakewood Heights
Lakewood HeightsAddress: Dates Active: 1915 – 2004Neighborhood: Lakewood Heights The school was opened around 1915. New Lakewood Heights school construction began in 1932 to make it more modern and safer for local students. The Lakewood Heights neighborhood is serviced has a very interesting history.…
Keep readingLee Street School
Lee StreetAddress: 579 Lee Street (1940 address)Dates Active: 1911 – ?Neighborhood: West End Lee Street School opened during the Fall school term of 1911; with the Atlanta Constitution reporting in a published article on June 25, 1911. The school was mentioned as being one of…
Keep readingLucille Avenue School
Lucille Avenue SchoolAddress: 189 Harris StreetDates Active: 1915 – 1922Neighborhood: West EndName Change: Joel Chandler Harris School Lucille Avenue School opened in 1915, in the West End Area off Harris Street. With an enrollment of over 400 students (all white), the Lucille Avenue School boasted upwards…
Keep readingOakland City School
Oakland City SchoolDates Active: 1919 – ?Address: 46 W. Avon Avenue (1920’s address)Neighborhood: Oakland City Oakland City School opened during the Fall of 1918, servicing the bright minds of the historic Oakland City neighborhood. Oakland City was annexed into the city of Atlanta in 1910, only 16 years…
Keep readingO’Keefe Junior High School
O’Keefe Junior High SchoolDates Active: 1923 – 1973Address: 151 Sixth Street N.W.Neighborhood: Home Park? The Daniel L. O’Keefe junior high school opened to much fanfare in 1923; the new building was built to accommodate students to attend the defunct Ivy and Calhoun Street Schools. Both Ivy and…
Keep readingOpportunity School
Opportunity SchoolDates Active: 1921 – ?Address: 18 Auburn Ave & 10 West Mitchell Street (in 1923), 30312Neighborhood: Sweet Auburn The Opportunity School, also known as The Atlanta Opportunity School, first opened its doors in 1921. The Opportunity School provided its students with a…
Keep readingCrew Street School
Crew Street Grammar SchoolDates Active: Feb. 14, 1872 – Oct. 1957Location: Former location, 97 Crew Street – Between Washington St & Capitol Ave.Neighborhood: Downtown Atlanta Crew Street grammar school opened in 1872, which also happened to be the end of Reconstruction in Georgia. The original…
Keep readingCrogman School
Crogman SchoolDates Active: 1923 – 1979Location: 1093 West Avenue in the ‘Pittsburgh’ area of Atlanta, GA,Neighborhood: Pittsburgh Area Located at 1093 West Avenue in the ‘Pittsburgh’ area of Atlanta, GA, the Crogman school began within the Gate City Church until an explosion of enrollment…
Keep readingDavis Street School
Davis Street SchoolDates Active: 1887 – 2016Location: Corner of Thurmond and Spencer streets Constructed in 1887 on donated land from the city of Atlanta, the Davis school opened with just 6 small rooms. Originally located on the corner of Thurmond and Spencer, the…
Keep readingDecatur Street School
Decatur Street SchoolDates Active: February 27, 1872 – ?Location: Locating information for the Decatur Street School was absolutely painstaking, and yet after days of research, I could only find the school listed in the 1874 Atlanta City Directory. Subsequent volumes of the Atlanta…
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Forgotten Atlanta Public Schools 