A BRIEF HISTOY OF THE BLACK SCHOOLS IN ST. LUCIE COUNTY
This history was compiled and put together by School Board Member, Samuel S. Gaines, Class of 1956 and presented at the dedication of the new Lincoln Park Auditorium on January 23, 2001.
In researching the history of my church, the Saint Paul AME Church, recently, I discovered that some of the same families that were living in Woodbine (the Marvilla) area of Fort Pierce were instrumental in pushing for the education of their children. When they had accumulated a little money, they called a meeting and immediately met the school board and asked for a teacher. Their request was granted and the use of an old tin building, which was located on North Eighth Street, was made available to them. This building had been used to store school supplies. Shortly after that, a man by the name of Dr. Platt became county superintendent and through his efforts in 1906 a new school building was given next to the tin storehouse where they began.
Some individuals that either served as principal or teacher are Miss Ella Campbell, Mrs. Lottie Stephens, Rev. Benjamin F. James, Mrs. Theresa Lang Kershaw, Prof. Henry R. Jerkins and Mrs. Melissa Patterson.
In 1923 the school had five teachers, eight grades and was opened for seven months a year. It was rather poor with most of the teachers, including the principal, with only a high school education. There were no teaching materials in the school, not even a dictionary.
The citizens, however, were determined that they would have a high school. To understand what an audacious ambition this was, one has only to know that there was not a full four year high school south of Palatka. In 1921 there were only 18 Negro pupils in the twelfth grade in the three four year high schools in the entire state, and none of them was accredited. These were the general conditions in the state of Florida when the committee of parents decided that they would have nothing less than an accredited high school.
Mr. J.P. Thompson, an agent of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company in the city, contacted James A. Espy. Espy, a native of the area, was head of the Vocational Agriculture Department, in the high school of Sandersville, Georgia. Espy accepted a job during the summer of 1923. He gave up a job paying $100.00 a month for 11 months to accept one with a salary of $90.00 a month for seven months. The opportunity to have a part in the development of a high school offered a challenge and aroused him to accept the principalship. The enthusiasm of citizens like Thompson, Griffin, Hill, Baldwin, Rev. Driver, Rev. McDonald, Singletary, Lyons, Duval and several others had influenced Espy in making the decision.
The school opened in September of 1923 as a junior high school. There were five students classified as ninth graders. There still was NO dictionary. Principal Espy made a request for a dictionary. They county Superintendent, Mr. E.E. Smith, ordered one, but when it came in it went to the principal of St. Lucie County High School instead of Principal Espy, who had asked for it. Shortly after that, Mr. Smith lost an election by five votes to a Mr. Riggs. Superintendent Riggs was very interested in the development of the school.
A meeting was held at St. Paul AME Church to discuss the need of having a high school with Superintendent Riggs and the citizens packed the church. A plea was made for a four-year high school. The superintendent told the crowd that if they really wanted a first class high school and were willing to cooperate in the development of one, he would propose it to the school board. He reminded them that a first class high school would cost money and that the school board had no money in the budget for a school. At that point the citizens pledged $1,600.00 to be paid during the following term if the senior high school was approved. Many were skeptical as to whether the money would be paid, but instead of the $1,600.00 the people paid more than $2600.00 during the term. The school board approved the senior high school-thus Lincoln Park Academy was born as a Senior High School.
During the 1925-1926 term a new building was completed at a cost of $10,000. It included four classrooms, an office, a library and an auditorium. Principal Espy put in partitions in each of the large classrooms, this doubling the capacity of the building.
The next Florida Legislature, after the election of Superintendent Riggs, formed Indian River County out of the north end of St. Lucie County. Mr. Riggs now lived in Indian River County so he had to resign and accept the appointment as superintendent of Indian River County. He had done a good job for Lincoln Park Academy in his two years in office. The Governor appointed Mrs. Lewis of White City to complete the unexpired term. She was an educator who looked upon schools as places for children, all children, to grow. Lincoln Park had found another friend. When the representative of the General Board of Education made a visit to the county, Supt. Lewis made sure to carry him to Lincoln Park Academy. He was so impressed with what was being done within seven months that he recommended that the school add another month. So, from that time on, Lincoln Park was on an eight-month schedule.
In 1927 a survey of the schools of Florida was made. A passage in the report of that survey, which commented on the Negro schools of the state, said, “Education among Negroes in Florida is very spotty, ranging from very GOOD at Lincoln Park Academy, down to the very poorest.”
The following year, 1928, Lincoln Park Academy was accredited as a Standard Senior High School by the Florida State Department of Education. One thing which contributed to the rapid development of the school was the agreement between Sup. Riggs and Principal Espy that all teachers in the high school should have bachelor degrees. This was almost unheard of, as most of the colleges were only staffed with teachers with only bachelor degrees. Because of this the salary was set at $90.00 a month for teachers. The children of Fort Pierce were very fortunate to have teachers with such training, since this was probably true of no other school in the state at the time.
The next superintendent to be elected was Mr. A. M. Sample. Having served on the school board, he therefore was familiar with all the problems. Mr. Sample was a true friend to Lincoln Park.
In its early years, Lincoln Park Academy developed a reputation for scholarship, athletics, and student activities. Students from many other cities in the state came here for their high school work. There were often more out-of-town students than local students in the graduating class.
The early thirties saw the arrival of a new principal from Mississippi in the form of W.M. Peterson. Under his leadership, Lincoln Park continued to excel in academics and sports. On May 1, 1936, the first school paper was printed, which was called the Moon. During these years names of faculty members became entrenched with the community. The F.K. Sweet family produced Helen Robinson, Edna Sheppard, Clifford White and Bernice Hall. Their mother had been instrumental in raising money to purchase the property that was donated to the school board. For her efforts and contribution to the community, an elementary school bears her name. Other names that had or made an impact during those years were E.E. Pierce who produced the Moon, Agnes Warrick who wrote the school song, Charles E. and A.B. Bolen, G.R. Hussain, Irene Baker, Memolia T. Stubbs, and R.E. Rhoades, sister to Dr. Espy.
In sports the Greyhounds became a feared name. The boys’ basketball team won the first State Tournament in 1930 and again in 1932. The girl’s teams were among the best in the state. This legacy continued down through the years.
Upon the departure of W.M. Peterson as principal for seven months, Mrs. E.E. Pierce became acting principal until the arrival of Chester C. Seabury at the start of the 1946-47 school term. New textbooks and new furniture for an all-black school was almost nonexistent. Principal C.C. Seabury was instrumental in getting new books and new furniture for the school. During his tenure as principal, a famous American poet, Zora Neal Hurston, was a part of the staff at Lincoln Park.
Following Seabury, the principal became J. Griffin Green. The school still continued to excel in sports and academics. It was during the early fifties that a new campus for Lincoln Park was voted on by the school board. The term of 1953-1954 found the school on a brand-new campus. Even though there was a new campus, supplies, textbooks, and materials were still not distributed equally. That, however, did not deter the student body; they had a brand-new campus. It was during these days that the motto became meaningful, “We Do Right Because It Is Right to Do Right.” In sports the name of Robert Jefferson became known and feared throughout the area. He produced winning football and basketball teams. The Greyhounds continued to break records. Under the guidance of J. Griffin Greene another milestone was passed, and another challenge was met when the school became fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary schools.
In 1958-1959, while Leroy C. Floyd was principal, the school was reevaluated. Lincoln Park passed the accreditation report, thus enabling the graduates to once again not worry about getting into schools of higher learning throughout the United States. In 1960-61 Leroy C. Floyd was moved to the position of supervising principal and president of Lincoln Junior College, with Eugene C. Williams coming on board as principal.
John L. Walker became principal in 1962. The integration of the school’s faculty took place during his administration. When the county school system came under a federal desegregation order, Lincoln Park was faded out as a high school and the last class to graduate was the class of 1970.
Credit for the development of Lincoln Park Academy as an outstanding educational institution must be given to an early enlightened community spirit, cooperation, school boards that were interested and helpful, a series of county superintendents who looked at schools as an opportunity to help all grow, a highly trained and consecrated faculty, and principals who accepted the position as a challenge and worked at it as a sacred responsibility.
During the next fifteen years the campus of Lincoln Park Academy danced to a different drumbeat. It became the countywide eighth grade center. Many fine principals, teachers and students came through the hallowed hall during those years. In the meantime, the board was trying to find a way to satisfy the courts and keep the schools racially mixed without too much disruption to the family. They had started looking into the magnet concept when someone brought in some information concerning Controlled Choice. The only known system that was operating under a controlled choice plan was out in Seattle, Washington. Without hesitation, the board with the Superintendent, Dr. David DeRusso in tow, made a trip to see firsthand this plan. They were well received by the school district and were shown everything that they could concerning the plan. A joke still goes around the board room about the member that was stopping people in the checkout line of the local supermarket, and questioning the occupant in the next stall of the ladies’ restroom, asking, “What do you think about your controlled choice plan?”
After gathering all of the necessary information, the board decided to adopt the controlled choice plan with the magnet concept. Lincoln Park Academy, being located in the black community, was recommended to be the site of the first magnet school. A survey of the community was held, and the traditional academic was recommended.
After much planning, the school board appointed Dr. Elizabeth Lambertson to be the first principal. No one had any idea that the community would accept the concept. The morning that registration began, the line started forming about 5:30 a.m. and by 8:00 a.m.it extended around the corner from the school. What a blessed sight that was.
The term of 1985-1986 opened its doors to students in the seventh and eighth grades. Dr. Lambertson ran a tight ship. Parents and students loved the school so that during the early years you couldn’t get into the PTI meetings.
Like the ancient Phoenix bird that rose from the ashes, Lincoln Park by May 30th, 1990, when the first class graduated, was like the Phoenix. The glory, honor, respect, and representation of its greatness was back. When a visitation from the accreditation committee came, they found many deficiencies in the high school. They made many recommendations that meant mega bucks being spent. The board had to make a decision on what to do about the school. Close the present site and transfer the school to the new high school that was being constructed in South County. This was voted down, and the decision was made to maintain the school at the present site. Under the direction of new superintendent, Dr. David Mosrie, contact was made with the Benton family about purchasing property that sat on the north side of campus. This was income-producing property for them, and they really weren’t interested in selling. After a few months of negotiating with the family a price of one million was asked for the property. This price was later lowered and after a community meeting held by the board in the Lincoln Park gym, the board voted to purchase the property, and to construct the new Lincoln Academy High School.
In 1995 the school board approved a contract with Stebbins and Scott Architectural firm to proceed with the plans for the new facilities. Because of the budget, the school was to be completed in separate sections. The academic part first, then the auditorium.
During the middle of the 1994-1995 term, Dr. Lambertson was relocated to the county office and Mr. James Sullivan became the acting principal. He maintained this position through the 1995-96 term until Dr. Mary Lou Goldberg came on board in September of 1996.
Ribbon cutting was held for the new completed high school in 1997. Because of different ideas about the seating capacity and the square footage of the stage, the auditorium was delayed. After many starts and stops, the phase finally got under way.
In 1999, Dr. Mary Goldberg was moved to another school and Mrs. Gerri McPherson was appointed principal. During these years, Lincoln Park excelled more and more in every aspect of the educational circles. From academics to the fine arts, LPA students are well-known nationally and internationally.
We stand here today on the threshold of a new beginning. This auditorium is being dedicated to all of the students of Lincoln Park. This was not constructed for one segment, but for all to enjoy and use.
