Schools – Jacksonville Blogger

Principal Blocker of Jacksonville

In the Basement of Bethel Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida classes were held in 1892. Sarah A. Blocker was the instructor with the Reverend Matthew Gilbert and others involved in the programs.

Sarah A. Blocker, Public Domain, Library of Congress

The school was effectively born in 1897 when members of the Bethlehem Baptist Association began the Florida Baptist Institute in Like Oak, Florida. At some point, the association under the leadership of Matthew Gilbert took a part of the group to Jacksonville developing the Normal the Florida Baptist Academy. Classes were held in the basement at Bethel in Jacksonville, Fl.

Bethel Baptist, Jacksonville, Fl (Ramey)

From 1896 until about 1940 Nathan Collier presided as President of the school. There is also a Collier-Blocker Junior College in Palatka.

Of the many teachers at the school over the years, Rosamond Johnson, a Jacksonville native and composer taught and during that time composed the music bearing the name “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing”. From that poem his brother, James Weldon Johnson composed music and has been named by many the “Negro National Anthem”.

Rosamond Johnson, Public Domain, Library of Congress

There have been many students to come out of this school including Eartha White, Howard Thurman, Harry Moore, and more.

According to records, the school relocated to St. Augustine and occupied the “Old Hansen Plantation”, a 400 acre land area. In 1918, it was renamed the Florida Normal and Industrial Institute and in 1942, it merged with the Live Oak school which effectively closed its doors. Again, the name was reworked being named Florida Normal Industrial and Memorial College in St. Augustine and yet again, by 1968 a new campus opened with the name of Florida Memorial College moving to Dale County. In 2004, the name was amended to be Florida Memorial University.

Sarah A. Blocker was principal of Normal, Florida Baptist College in the 1900’s in Jacksonville, Florida.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Wikipedia, Florida Women’s Hall of Fame, New York Public Library, UNF collections, Library of Congress.

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April 26

Brookview Elementary School # 206

10450 Theresa Drive

Brookview Elementary School was opening in the fall of 1962. The first principal of the school was Nannie Paul Thomas. She served from 1862 until 1968 followed by Mary S. Button(1968-1969), Kenneth Wing( 1969-1976), Mae Belle Braddock(1976-1978), Doretha Haynes (1979-1986), Estelle McKissick (1986-1989), Mark Cashen(1989-) and others. The current principal is Tracey Kendrick.

Duval Public school online photo of Brookview School.

According to the school history, the faculty desegregated in January of 1970 “due to a court order”. In 1972, the student body desegregated using the bussing of students. According to this record, “ to further achieve racial balance, black student in grades one through five , were bussed to Brookview from Susie Tolbert and R. V. Daniels. Meanwhile, Sith graders from Brookview were transported to Susie Tolbert.”

In 1972, according to the record fifth grade students from Brookview were “moved to Arlington Annex”. Exception Education classes were added in 1973 and “a self -contained class for emotionally disturbed children was a part of the program until 1975. Kindergarten classes began in 1974 and in 1989 preschool classes were added with “preschool handicapped begin added in 1991. Title I reading and Chapter I teacher were added in1976 and 1982 with a computer lab added in 1984.

The school history includes information of the major construction in 1989 and grounds improvements in 1994.

Over the years, the school has won awards such as the Little Red Schoolhouse award in 1985 and the School of Distinction award in 1990.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: While some school histories are non-existent, others are simple and with basic information. This school history was very detailed and comprehensive. This history was from the Brookview school: The Duval County Schools, Jacksonville, Fl. No author’s name was on the document.

This information including “Ramey photos” may be used with credit to Ramey Collection. Photos may be 3rd party for which may be secured by copyrighted owner.

If you believe you are a copyright owner or can help with information regarding this article, including to clarify rights or information issues, please contact me. We are willing to remove any item from public view if there is any concern regarding ownership.

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April 21

Jacksonville Classical Academy

2043 Forest Street

Formerly, Forest Park Elementary School # 104, Jacksonville Classical Academy is built on the same property as the former Forest Park which was abandoned in 2005 according to “Abandoned Florida”. (See page on Forest Park).

The mission on the new construction for Jacksonville Classical Academy website is, “to train the minds and improve the hearts of young people through a classical education in the liberal arts and sciences, with instruction in the principles of moral character and civic virtue.”

Jacksonville Classical Academy- Photo- Ramey collection

The “Our Story” information includes it being opened in 2020. The school is located near downtown Jacksonville. It is a tuition-free public charter school “based on the traditions of the liberal arts and sciences with instruction in the principles of moral character and civic virtue”.

See information on Forest Park Elementary # 104 listed under “Schools”.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Jacksonville Classical Academy, Abandoned Fl., Photo- Ramey Collection.

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April 20

Douglas Anderson School of the Arts # 107

2445 San Diego Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32207

Douglas Anderson School # 107. Douglas Anderson School, once called South Jacksonville Grammar School opened in 1922. It provided education during a segregated period for Black students grades 1-9.

Douglas Anderson original entrance. Photo- Duval County Schools

The school was later named in honor of Douglas Anderson(1884-1936) for his service to the community. Douglas was born in Jacksonville and became a carpenter and businessman. His parents were Samuel and Charlotte Anderson. His father served in the Florida House of Representatives for South Jacksonville.

The young Anderson studied at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. There he married Ethel Stevens. And the two had a daughter, Mary Gwendolyn. He retired to Jacksonville and as reported in the Florida Times Union “developed a farm on 22 acres on Old St. Augustine Road”. Anderson served as PTA president for a number of years and sometime after 1913, worked in an effort to get proper bussing for Black students. According to a You Tube video by Carla Michelle, Anderson was a bus driver and awarded the first bus contract to a Black person.

Anderson and Walter Thorpe were at least two who assisted in grants, funds and finances in securing the land that would become school # 107. It was renamed Douglas Anderson in his honor. ( Florida Times Union, Douglas Anderson’s Grandaughter, February 21, 2022).

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: You Tube by Carla Michelle, Florida Times Union article, personal visit to the school.

This information including Ramey photos may be used with credit to Ramey Collection. Photos may be 3rd party for which may be secured by copyrighted owner.

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April 19

Edward H. White High School #248

Edward White School opened in 1971 as Paxon High and Forest High school had an overflow of students. It served students 10-12th grade. According to the Duval County information, in 1991 there began changes in “junior high” status creating a four year pattern in schools then offering 9-12th grade.

Photo: NASA

The Duval County history of Edward White indicates that this was one of the first schools to offer Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corpts (NJROTC).

Photo: Duval County Public Schools

The school was named in honor of astronaut Edward White. Edward H. White II in June of 1965 was the first spacewalker. White was born November 14, 1930. He graduated from Western High School in Washington, D.C. and from United States Military Academy in 1952. He continued to further his experiences and education and in 1962 was selected as an astronaut walking in space in June of 1965. After earning a degree from the University of Michican he was given a honorary Doctorate in Astronautics from the University of Michican in 1965. In 1967, he died in a flash fire on Pad 34-A at Kennedy Space center and was buried with full military honors. He is buried at West Point.

Photo: WikiCommons Public Domain

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Duval County School Edward White, Wikipedia Commons, NASA, Google Search, personal visit to the school.

This information including Ramey photos may be used with credit to Ramey Collection. Photos may be 3rd party for which may be secured by copyrighted owner.

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April 12

J. Allen Axson Public School # 8

1226 E. 16th Street/Franklin Street

Moved to: 4763 Sutton Park Court 32224

1910

To be repurposed

Originally called Graded Springfield School, and East Springfield Elementary school, its name was changed in honor of J. Allen Axson, the former principal of the school. The school is number 8 in the public school listing and sits on 2.7 acres of land in east Springfield. The school was built in 1912 In his younger years, Axson became a farmer, worked as a carpenter. Later, he worked as an educator.

J. Allen Axson # 8. (Ramey Collection).

The school was designed by Richard Lewis Brown, Jacksonville’s first Black architect. It was built in 1910 following the out-growth after the Great Jacksonville Fire of 1901. Several students who attended this school were Frank R. Williams, Eric Leonard Jenkins and Clayton Emory Smith. Employees at the school were many including Mrs. Edie Garrett and Maury O’Cane. The area itself was known as the “Phoenix Avenue”, had begun n 1904 and with the growing area was in need of a school for children thus the Phoenix was rising, symbolic of “growing out and above a catastrophe”.

Things in that area grew steadily until the Haines Street Expressway was built east of the school. Traffic, transportation and true crime plagued the area. The school closed in 2005. It reopened as a Montessori school in 1991. After the school closed, vandals broke windows, and painted graffiti on walls. It was boarded up but vandals found a way in and a fire damaged its interior in 2021.

In 2023, there has been hope to repurpose the building.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Duval Public Schools, Personal visit.

This information including Ramey photos may be used with credit to Ramey Collection. Photos may be 3rd party for which may be secured by copyrighted owner.

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April 11

Fairfield Elementary # 9

1910

515 Victoria Street

Originally called East Jacksonville Grammar School the school was built in 1910. It is located at 515 Victoria Street at the west end of the Matthews Bridge. The architects, Mark and Sheftall took on this school as their first project l and would build as many as 50 schools in Florida.

Fairfield Elementary School # 9 ( Ramey Collection)

The school closed in 1971 and reopened as Fairfield Correctional Institute. At some point it was used by the Urban League where a Head Start program was enacted. School number 9 was purchased by a private owner in 2015.

In 2018 it was used for parking cars.In 2020 there was a post on the Fairfield School Facebook page offeringFl-Ga parking: “Plenty of room. Perfect for RVs. Private lot”. Tailgating welcome?”

IF you visit today, it appears closed and has Sheriff’s signs in the windows.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

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April 10

Southside Grammar School # 7

1916

1450 Flagler Avenue

Southside Grammar School Photo: The Lofts

On the 15th day of April, 2004, the South Jacksonville Grammar School was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Architects, Victor Earl Mark and Leroy Sheftall designed the school and it was built in 1916. The school closed in 1971. It was used by the Duval County School board for administrative offices for a time. The building was sold in 2001 to a San Marco=based company owned by Barbara Cesery and her brother Bill Cesery, developers in Jacksonville, Florida. The school was developed into 38 loft units for family living.

Southside Grammar School. (Photo: Wikipedia)

With new growth in the San Marco area and it being just south of Jacksonville , the historic former Southside Grammar has outlived many other former schools in the county.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: The Lofts San Marco, Wikipedia.

This information including Ramey photos may be used with credit to Ramey Collection. Photos may be 3rd party for which may be secured by copyrighted owner.

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April 9

Duncan Upshaw Fletcher # 223 ( 1859-1936)

700 Seagate Ave, Neptune Beach, FL

Duncan U. Fletcher High School was founded 1937. It sits on 20.5 acres and located at the beaches.

Beaches Museum Photo

The school was named in honor of Duncan U. Fletcher. Fletcher was born in Georgia, graduated from Vanderbilt University and after 1880 moved to Jacksonville, Fl working as a lawyer. He became mayor of Jacksonville from 1893-1895. After the Great fire of jacksonville, Fletcher was instrumental in getting the city back on a positive path. Fletcher served as a member of the Florida Senate for some 30 years. By his pen, the Everglades National Park was introduced and signed into law in 1934 by President FDR.

Duncan U. Fletcher. Photo- Public Domain

He was chairman of the Board of Public Instruction from 1900-1907 and for many years was a trustee of John B. Stetson University and the St. Luke’s Hospital . (Wikipedia).

Fletcher died in Washington D. C in 1936. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida.

Memorial Evergreen Cemetery, Jacksonville- Photo-Find a Grave.

See you tomorrow

Nan

Sources: Wikipedia, Stetson University, Duval County, Personal visit to Evergreen and the school.

This information including Ramey photos may be used with credit to Ramey Collection. Photos may be 3rd party for which may be secured by copyrighted owner.

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April 8

East Jacksonville School # 3

1917

Demolished- Formerly located at Ashley and Van Buren Streets

East Jacksonville Public School # 3. (Photo: U of Fl Digital Collections)

East Jacksonville Elementary School, Photo: (U of Fl Digital)

At this writing, school children and their families park at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds where Public School # 3 once housed children for education. The Fair has been in operation since 1955 as written in its history online. The school was built in 1917, long before the Fair was on those grounds.

The school was demolished in 1981. At one time, it was a large, fine and stately building existing for over sixty years. It was one of Henry K. Klutho’s designs and opened in 1917.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Florida Memory, Fairfield School # 9 Facebook page, Historic Preservation @ UF,Photo: U of Fl Digital Collections

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