Eureka School | |
---|---|
Front facade in 2015 | |
Location | 412 East 6th Street Hattiesburg, Mississippi [1] |
Coordinates | 31°20′05″N89°17′28″W / 31.3347°N 89.2911°W Coordinates: 31°20′05″N89°17′28″W / 31.3347°N 89.2911°W |
Built | 1921 |
Governing body | Hattiesburg Convention Commission [2] |
Designated | July 14, 2005 |
Reference no. | 035-HAT-0309.2-ML [3] |
Eureka School, located at 412 East 6th Street in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was constructed in 1921 as a public school for African Americans. [4] The school was the first brick school building for black students to be built in Mississippi. [5] The former school building, which now houses a civil rights museum, [5] was designated a Mississippi Landmark in 2005.
Construction of Eureka School was completed in September 1921, as a two-story brick building of about 27,000 sq ft (2,500 m2). [1] Funding was provided by a $75,000 bond issue. [4]
Eureka School was the only public school for African Americans in Hattiesburg from 1921 to 1949, serving grades 1 through 12. [4] Enrollment increased from 800 students in 1940 to 1,400 by 1947, requiring more school facilities. By 1949, a new high school for African Americans was built, but Eureka School continued to serve as an elementary school through desegregation, until 1987. [6]
After the public school closed in 1987, the building was used as an adult literacy center and storage facility for the Hattiesburg Public School District. [6]
In 2008, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to begin restoration of Eureka School for use as an African American Heritage and Cultural Museum. [7] Funding for restoration was provided by grants through the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. [8] [9] [10]
On February 10, 2013, an EF-4 tornado passed through Hattiesburg. [11] [12] During the storm, the roof of Eureka School was severely damaged. [1] By the end of August 2013, roof repairs had been completed. [13]
Restoration of the building's interior continued through 2014. [10] Multi-phase renovations proceeded as funds became available. In January 2017, plumbing and electrical repairs and improvements were being scheduled, as well as interior painting, to complete the building's renovation. [14]
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