Historic Tri-Cities Public School Buildings Tour

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Johnson City's first African-American public high school, Langston High was established in 1893 and named in honor of U.S. Congressman John Mercer Langston. Langston was a leading educator, lawyer, and the first African American to win election to public office in the United States (Ohio 1856). The school's first motto was "Enter to Learn; Depart to Serve." The Supreme Court declared an end to racially segregated schools in 1954 ad in 1965, federal courts ordered Johnson City to comply. In response, the school district began the process of integrating the school through the spring and fall of 1965.

2. Bristol Municipal Stadium

The Bristol Municipal Stadium, commonly referred to as the Stone Castle, was built from 1934 to 1937, mostly using funds from the Works Progress Administration. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 because of its historic value as likely the last Works Progress Administration- funded stadium still being used in Tennessee, in addition to its unique architecture and medieval Gothic design. The stadium, constructed of local limestone from Beaver Creek, features a football field and track, and has been used as the home field for several schools in the area. Today, with a seating capacity of roughly 6,000 people, the stadium is utilized by Tennessee High School, and in the past it has served Virginia High School, Slater High School, Douglass High School, and King College as well.

3. Douglass School, Bristol (1921-1967)

Known as the Douglass School for Negro Students during most of its years of operation, this building held Bristol’s first high school that was open to African American residents. The history of the high school begins in 1896 when it was known simply as “The Colored High School.” The name of the school was changed in 1911 to the current name in honor of Frederick Douglass, the American social reformer, orator, writer and statesman who was a prominent leader in the abolitionist movement following his escape from slavery in Maryland in September 1838. This building was constructed in 1921 in response to the growing population and was home to Douglass School until integration in 1967. Various updates and additions were made between the opening and closing of the school when Bristol's school leaders ended formal segregation thirteen years after Brown v. Board declared segregated public schools violated the 14th Amendment. This building continued to operate as a public school until 1991. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 and serves as a community center.

4. Virginia High School

Constructed from 1914 to 1915, the old Bristol Virginia High School building offers a window into understanding the history of the region and public education in this part of Appalachia. The building serves as a high school for many decades before the 1950s when it was converted to a middle school following the construction of a new high school in Bristol in 1954. The building has always been utilized as a public school and was only open to white students prior to the gradual integration of schools following the 1954 Supreme court decision in Brown vs. Board. Like many high schools, the building has also hosted public meetings and served as the meeting place for organizations from the local civic league, to the Red Cross and Bible schools. The school was also the meeting place for regular defense-related classes during World War II. In 1924, the Ku Klux Klan held two public meetings in the school’s auditorium. Twenty-one years later, the National Negro Business League and other African American organizations began using the school for meetings starting in 1945.

5. Douglass High School (TN)

This was the largest school to serve African-American youth from the Upper East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Southeast Kentucky regions. It was also the largest school between Knoxville, TN and Roanoke, VA.

This Tour is a Thematic Tour or Heritage Trail.

Historic Tri-Cities Public School Buildings Tour

Created by Douglas J Harding on August 30th 2019, 3:42:34 pm.

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Description

This tour includes several historic public education buildings throughout the Tri-Cities region of Johnson City, TN, Bristol, TN and VA, and Kingsport, TN and their surrounding communities. The tour includes: the largest school to serve African-American youth from the Upper East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Southeast Kentucky regions and largest school between Knoxville, TN and Roanoke, VA; the old Virginia High School building in which WWII defense classes and KKK meetings were once held; Bristol’s first high school that was open to African American residents; the unique "Stone Castle" building which has served several high schools in the Bristol area and is a 1934-37 product of the Works Progress Administration; and Johnson City's first African-American public high school established in 1893.

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Historic Tri-Cities Public School Buildings Tour

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