‘This is Jacksonville history’: Volunteers clean up the Old Stanton High School

Jacksonville, Fla. — Built in 1917 and bought by eight freed slaves, the Old Stanton High School in Downtown Jacksonville has a rich history.

With James Weldon Johnson as its principal, Old Stanton served as the city’s first and only black secondary school before the Brown v. Board of Education ruling that made separating children by race in public schools unconstitutional.

“This is not only African American history, but this is Jacksonville history,” highlighted Barry Farmer Saturday morning. “And to preserve it we gotta show a little initiative.”

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However, for some, the importance of that now-abandoned brick building has been long forgotten. That’s why on Saturday morning, Farmer, the Stanton Board of Trustees, and other volunteers gathered to cut overgrown grass, clean up trash, and revitalize the vital piece of history.

The ultimate goal is to draw more people to the location so they can learn about its historical importance.

“We have a lot of national landmarks here in Jacksonville. So hopefully when people come, they’ll stop by Old Stanton as well,” said Farmer.

The cleanup is just the beginning. The Board of Trustees hopes to raise tens of millions of dollars in the coming years to turn the school into a museum of education.

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