First Black Public School
John Wilkes Booth once performed in the Columbus theater that, in 1872, became the city's first public school for Black children.
The Marker
Near here, in July 1872, the first local public school for black students opened. The school was the result of an action by the City Council directing the Trustees of the Columbus Public Schools to set up classes for blacks. For the first of these, the trustees rented Temperance Hall, built in 1849. Until the 1871 opening of the Springer Opera House, this had been the city's foremost theater. On its stage had appeared many of the opera, music and theater greats of the era. Among them was John Wilkes Booth. The school operated here until 1874 when it was moved to the former AME Church on Sixth Avenue.
Erected by Historic Chattahoochee Commission and the Muscogee County School District, 1990.
Where it is
Street View, oriented toward the marker.
Sources
- Shooting Booth — LincolnConspirators.com (Dave Taylor)
- St. James AME Church — Columbus State University Archives and Special Collections
- Early African American Education in Columbus and William H. Spencer — Historic Columbus
- First Black Public School · Marker text is public factual information; the photograph is © the project owner.
- History — Springer Opera House (Georgia's Historic State Theatre) — Springer Opera House
About this film
The cinematic period scenes are AI-generated — a dramatized visualization, not real historical footage.
The narration is an AI-generated voice, not a human recording.
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