A TUSKEGEE ROSENWALD
SCHOOL
Members of the historically Black Pine Grove community in Cumberland County, Virginia wanted to have a school built for their children as part of the school building program initiated by renown educator, Dr. Booker T. Washington of Tuskegee Institute, and Philanthropist, Julius Rosenwald of Sears Roebuck Company. The two men envisioned schools being built by black residents, for black students in collaboration with counties, municipalities, and the Rosenwald fund.
WHAT IS A TUSKEGEE
ROSENWALD
SCHOOL?
Black citizens petitioned Cumberland County to build a school for their children with the understanding that they could secure the land on which to build, and contribute a sizable amount towards building it. Four acres of land was deeded to the County in 1916, by William and Olivia Miller, and sufficient funds were raised ($1,000 from the County probably from taxes, $500 from African-American residents, and $50 from the Rosenwald Fund). Pine Grove School, built on the two-room Rosenwald Community School Plan, was erected in time to receive its first pupils in the Fall of 1917. The school operated continuously for over 40 years, as the only institution for educating the Black children in the segregated Pine Grove community.
AMMD Pine Grove Project stands on the shoulders of a dynamic group of Black Pine Grove residents who, in 1964, rescued Pine Grove School from auction by the County when all of the Rosenwald Schools closed due to desegregation. Founded by Mr. Robert L. Scales, Pine Grove Community repurposed the school as a community center hub well into the 1990s.
PINE GROVE TEACHERS
1924-1925
Ms. Beatrice Daniel
Ms. Marguerite S Washington
1925-1926
No Record
1926-1927
Ms. Mary Gilliam
Ms. Pearl Washington
1927-1928
Ms. Ethel R Smith
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1928-1929
Ms. Martha Parker
Mrs. Mary E. Gilliam
1929-1930
Mrs. Mary E. Gilliam
Mrs. Mary G. Parker
1930-1931
Mrs. Aurellia Fleming
Ms. Beatrice Fleming
1931-1932
Mrs. Mary E. Gilliam
1932-1933
Mr. Harrison Fuller
1933-1935
Mrs. Mary E. Gilliam
Mr. B.L. Bezeman
1935-1936
Mrs. Mary Gilliam
Mr. Robert C. Scott
1936-1942
Mrs. Ella Thomas
Ms. Kate Brown Booker
1942-1954
Mrs. Mary E. Gilliam
1954-1955
Mrs. Betty C. Scales
1955-1956
Mrs. Aretha Thornton (Miller)
1956-1964
Mrs. Betty C. Scales
WHERE WE WORK.
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Virtual Tour
https://encyclopediavirginia.org/pinegrove-2/
Credit: Encyclopedia Virginia
Aurthor: Peter Hedlund
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3D Flythrough
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmfMlVerh94
Credit: University of Virginia ARH5600 : 3D Cultural Heritage Informatics Students
Aurthor: Will Rourk
Building a Tuskegee Rosenwald Network
Photo Courtesy of: University of Chicago Archives
Building a
Tuskegee-Rosenwald Sister Schools Network
It's imperative that we acknowledge, honor, and preserve the legacy of Tuskegee-Rosenwald Schools.
Who better to share their profound stories than those
who have the lived experiences?
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To that end, AMMD Pine Grove Project
is excited to announce the launch of the
Tuskegee-Rosenwald Sister Schools Network in 2024.
If you're interested in your school community joining
this pioneering coalition, please complete the interest
form via the link below.
