Douglass School, Kokomo

Douglass School, positioned at 1104 N. Bell Street in Kokomo, was named after freed slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass and opened its doors to African American students in 1920.[1] The school was designed by the well-known architectural firm Elmer Dunlap and Company, and was praised in local papers as “a modern building in every particular, with all the conveniences and appliances of any other school in the city”.[2] However, the reality of the school’s construction was far bleaker and came with a great deal of ambiguity. Prior to the construction of Douglass School, African American students simply went to the school that was closest to their home. For nearly three decades following Douglass School’s construction, until Indiana’s anti-segregation law was passed in 1949, African American students throughout the entire district were forced to exclusively attend Douglass School, which, for many African American students, meant walking past one or more schools that were designated for “white students only” on their long treks to and from class. [3]

Douglass School did provide “four classrooms, a community room, and a gymnasium”, [4] which gave African American students a way to participate in extracurricular activities without persecution and helped the school maintain a high quality of education, even without the same level of funding that all white schools received. A turning point for Douglass School came in 1926, when now Howard County Hall of Legends recipient Reverend H.A. Perry took over as its principal.[5] Reverend Perry, along with other members of staff at Douglass School, persistently reached out to then First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt with letters, phone calls, and telegraphs in an attempt to align themselves with the First Lady’s agenda to support the quality and “importance of education for all Americans.” [6],[7] The Kokomo community was ecstatic by the First Lady’s visit to Kokomo in March 1940, and some community members were awestruck that she chose to visit Douglass School of all the schools in Kokomo. Reverend Perry built on the community excitement to receive more funding for Douglass School and later to construct the Carver Community Center. The community center offered recreational opportunities specifically for African American children facing fervent racism and daily segregation throughout the community. [8]

Following its 1950’s merger with Willard School, a neighboring all-white school, Douglass School slowly declined before eventually closing its doors to students in 1968.[9] For the next four decades, the building had a myriad of owners and uses, ranging from an employment center to a nursing school, before purchased by the city of Kokomo on August 19, 2019.[10] The original wooden lockers, floors, and blackboards that were present during Roosevelt’s visit in 1940 are still part of the Douglass school building.[11]

Today, Douglass School is under the ownership of Pastor Rev. William Smith Jr., who has been working diligently with the surrounding community to preserve the immense historic value that the building holds for Kokomo.[12] Indiana Landmarks has recently allocated a $10,000 grant for the restoration of Douglass School, and the building is also being considered for a nomination to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [13]

[1] “Kokomo Plans to Revitalize Douglass School,” Indiana Landmarks, October 28, 2019, https://www.indianalandmarks.org/2019/10/kokomo-plans-to-revitalize-douglass-school/
[2] Ibid.
[3] “Douglass School: Mute Reminder of Past Segregation,” Howard County Historical Society, February 2019, https://howardcountymuseum.org/subpage/douglass-school-mute-reminder-of-past-segregation-id-6
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] “Kokomo Plans to Revitalize Douglass School”
[7] “As She Enters Hall and Hearts of Hosts,” Hoosier State Chronicles, March 29, 1940 https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=INR19400330-01.1.9&srpos=3&e=-------en-20-INR-1--txt-txIN-%22douglas+school%22+kokomo------
[8] “Local Pastor sees new Life for Douglass School,” Kokomo Tribune, February 11, 2020 https://www.kokomotribune.com/news/local_news/local-pastor-sees-new-life-for-douglass-school/article_bd0346a4-4c3f-11ea-b5fd-f34512ccb370.html
[9] Ibid.
[10] “Historic Sites in Kokomo, Including Douglass School, Targeted for Preservation.” Kokomo Tribune. September 15, 2019. https://www.kokomotribune.com/news/local_news/historic-sites-in-kokomo-including-douglass-school-targeted-for-preservation/article_ab00c168-d578-11e9-b735-9f814f97a760.html
[11] “Local Pastor sees new Life for Douglass School"
[12] Ibid.
[13] “Historic Sites in Kokomo, Including Douglass School, Targeted for Preservation”

Student Author: Joel Sharp
Faculty/Staff Editors: Dr. Ronald V. Morris, Dr. Kevin C. Nolan, and Christine Thompson
Graduate Assistant Researchers: Carrie Vachon and JB Bilbrey

PHOTO & VIDEO:
Courtesy Indiana Landmarks https://www.indianalandmarks.org/2021/04/historic-schools-provide-ties-to-african-american-experience/