Smith Robertson Elementary School Explained

Smith Robertson Elementary School, now the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center, is a historic elementary school in Mississippi's state capital Jackson, Mississippi. It served African American students in Hinds County, Mississippi. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is at 500 Bloom Street.^[1]

A wooden school was built in 1894. It was named for Jackson's first Black alderman Smith Robertson in 1903. Richard Wright was an alumnus. It closed in 1971.^[2] The school building was renovated and reopened as a history museum in 1984.^[3]

The original wooden school building burned. A brick building was built in 1909 and remodeled in 1929.^[4] There is a historical marker at the property.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Smith Robertson Museum & Cultural Center. Smith Robertson Museum & Cultural Center.
2. Web site: Smith Robertson School Historical Marker. www.hmdb.org.
3. Web site: How the Smith Robertson School became a Jackson museum. January 27, 2023.
4. Web site: Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center. Mississippi Encyclopedia.