Lackawana Elementary School # 10

3108 Lenox Avenue

School number 10 is listed on the “List of Schools and Year Built” sheet as being there in 1890.   The Seaboard coastline train business had rails that ran along Mcduff Avenue in the 1890’s. This rail brought many south and west from up north .  

The term Lackawanna was often used up north with rail yards dating to the mid 1800’s. Names such as “Lackawanna Railroad”, “Lackawanna West and Bloomberg Railroad”  and the “Delaware, Lackawanna Railroad” of 1853 were a few of the Lackawanna names.  It is not known exactly where the name Lackawanna came from in terms of naming the school, however it is quite possible from the rail business being brought down from the north that the area of Lackawanna was named in keeping with its important use of trains, rails and the like.

In the 1940’s the Lackawanna area began to grow with not only train travel but also bus lines and new home construction.  Additions were made to the building and a new school was constructed in 1911. Lackawanna was a school for White children.

In 1962, Judge Bryan Simpson ruled that segregation was outlawed and ordered that the county provide a plan for system-wide integration of schools.  Lackawanna was part of that plan and in 1963 Lackawanna integrated with Donal Godfrey being the first student at Lackawanna along with 12 other Black students to attend the school. 

In 2010 it served as the Lackawanna Alternative Education Center for about 103 students grades 9-12. The school is currently closed and used as storage.

It is important to note that the 1911 school was designed by the Black architect of Jacksonville, R. L. Brown.

R. L. Brown, architect

See you tomorrow,

Sources: Jaxpychogeo . Com, UNF digitalcommons, Florida Memory, Denver Public library, Personal visit.

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