{"id":9872,"date":"2025-11-03T14:54:51","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T19:54:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schools.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/lpa\/?page_id=9872"},"modified":"2025-12-08T13:05:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T18:05:51","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schools.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/lpa\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"

A BRIEF HISTOY OF THE BLACK SCHOOLS IN ST. LUCIE COUNTY<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\u00a0<\/em>Lincoln Park Auditorium on January 23, 2001.<\/em><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 When they had accumulated a little money, they called a meeting and immediately met the school board and asked for a teacher.\u00a0 Their request was granted and the use of an old tin building, which was located on North Eighth Street, was made available to them.\u00a0 This building had been used to store school supplies.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

In 1923 the school had five teachers, eight grades and was opened for seven months a year.\u00a0 It was rather poor with most of the teachers, including the principal, with only a high school education.\u00a0 There were no teaching materials in the school, not even a dictionary.<\/p>\n

The citizens, however, were determined that they would have a high school.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

Mr. J.P. Thompson, an agent of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company in the city, contacted James A. Espy.\u00a0 Espy, a native of the area, was head of the Vocational Agriculture Department, in the high school of Sandersville, Georgia.\u00a0 Espy accepted a job during the summer of 1923.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 The opportunity to have a part in the development of a high school offered a challenge and aroused him to accept the principalship.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

The school opened in September of 1923 as a junior high school.\u00a0 There were five students classified as ninth graders.\u00a0 There still was NO dictionary.\u00a0 Principal Espy made a request for a dictionary.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Shortly after that, Mr. Smith lost an election by five votes to a Mr. Riggs.\u00a0 Superintendent Riggs was very interested in the development of the school.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 A plea was made for a four-year high school.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 At that point the citizens pledged $1,600.00 to be paid during the following term if the senior high school was approved.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 The school board approved the senior high school-thus Lincoln Park Academy was born as a Senior High School.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 Principal Espy put in partitions in each of the large classrooms, this doubling the capacity of the building.<\/p>\n

The next Florida Legislature, after the election of Superintendent Riggs, formed Indian River County out of the north end of St. Lucie County.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 She was an educator who looked upon schools as places for children, all children, to grow.\u00a0 Lincoln Park had found another friend.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 He was so impressed with what was being done within seven months that he recommended that the school add another month.\u00a0 So, from that time on, Lincoln Park was on an eight-month schedule.<\/p>\n

In 1927 a survey of the schools of Florida was made.\u00a0 A passage in the report of that survey, which commented on the Negro schools of the state, said, \u201cEducation among Negroes in Florida is very spotty, ranging from very GOOD at Lincoln Park Academy, down to the very poorest.\u201d<\/p>\n

The following year, 1928, Lincoln Park Academy was accredited as a Standard Senior High School by the Florida State Department of Education.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

The next superintendent to be elected was Mr. A. M. Sample.\u00a0 Having served on the school board, he therefore was familiar with all the problems.\u00a0 Mr. Sample was a true friend to Lincoln Park.<\/p>\n

In its early years, Lincoln Park Academy developed a reputation for scholarship, athletics, and student activities.\u00a0 Students from many other cities in the state came here for their high school work.\u00a0 There were often more out-of-town students than local students in the graduating class.<\/p>\n

The early thirties saw the arrival of a new principal from Mississippi in the form of W.M. Peterson.\u00a0 Under his leadership, Lincoln Park continued to excel in academics and sports.\u00a0 On May 1, 1936, the first school paper was printed, which was called the Moon<\/em>.\u00a0 During these years names of faculty members became entrenched with the community.\u00a0 The F.K. Sweet family produced Helen Robinson, Edna Sheppard, Clifford White and Bernice Hall.\u00a0 Their mother had been instrumental in raising money to purchase the property that was donated to the school board.\u00a0 For her efforts and contribution to the community, an elementary school bears her name.\u00a0 Other names that had or made an impact during those years were E.E. Pierce who produced the Moon<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n

In sports the Greyhounds became a feared name.\u00a0 The boys\u2019 basketball team won the first State Tournament in 1930 and again in 1932.\u00a0 The girl\u2019s teams were among the best in the state.\u00a0 This legacy continued down through the years.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 New textbooks and new furniture for an all-black school was almost nonexistent.\u00a0 Principal C.C. Seabury was instrumental in getting new books and new furniture for the school.\u00a0 During his tenure as principal, a famous American poet, Zora Neal Hurston, was a part of the staff at Lincoln Park.<\/p>\n

Following Seabury, the principal became J. Griffin Green.\u00a0 The school still continued to excel in sports and academics.\u00a0 It was during the early fifties that a new campus for Lincoln Park was voted on by the school board.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 That, however, did not deter the student body; they had a brand-new campus.\u00a0 It was during these days that the motto became meaningful, \u201cWe Do Right Because It Is Right to Do Right.”\u00a0 In sports the name of Robert Jefferson became known and feared throughout the area.\u00a0 He produced winning football and basketball teams.\u00a0 The Greyhounds continued to break records.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

In 1958-1959, while Leroy C. Floyd was principal, the school was reevaluated.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

John L. Walker became principal in 1962.\u00a0 The integration of the school’s faculty took place during his administration.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

During the next fifteen years the campus of Lincoln Park Academy danced to a different drumbeat.\u00a0 It became the countywide eighth grade center.\u00a0 Many fine principals, teachers and students came through the hallowed hall during those years.\u00a0 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. \u00a0\u00a0They had started looking into the magnet concept when someone brought in some information concerning Controlled Choice.\u00a0 The only known system that was operating under a controlled choice plan was out in Seattle, Washington.\u00a0 Without hesitation, the board with the Superintendent, Dr. David DeRusso in tow, made a trip to see firsthand this plan.\u00a0 They were well received by the school district and were shown everything that they could concerning the plan.\u00a0 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\u2019 restroom, asking, \u201cWhat do you think about your controlled choice plan?\u201d<\/p>\n

After gathering all of the necessary information, the board decided to adopt the controlled choice plan with the magnet concept.\u00a0 Lincoln Park Academy, being located in the black community, was recommended to be the site of the first magnet school.\u00a0 A survey of the community was held, and the traditional academic was recommended.<\/p>\n

After much planning, the school board appointed Dr. Elizabeth Lambertson to be the first principal.\u00a0 No one had any idea that the community would accept the concept.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 What a blessed sight that was.<\/p>\n

The term of 1985-1986 opened its doors to students in the seventh and eighth grades.\u00a0 Dr. Lambertson ran a tight ship.\u00a0 Parents and students loved the school so that during the early years you couldn’t get into the PTI meetings.<\/p>\n

Like the ancient Phoenix bird that rose from the ashes, Lincoln Park by May 30th<\/sup>, 1990, when the first class graduated, was like the Phoenix.\u00a0 The glory, honor, respect, and representation of its greatness was back.\u00a0 When a visitation from the accreditation committee came, they found many deficiencies in the high school.\u00a0 They made many recommendations that meant mega bucks being spent.\u00a0 The board had to make a decision on what to do about the school. \u00a0Close the present site and transfer the school to the new high school that was being constructed in South County.\u00a0 This was voted down, and the decision was made to maintain the school at the present site.\u00a0 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. \u00a0\u00a0This was income-producing property for them, and they really weren\u2019t interested in selling.\u00a0 After a few months of negotiating with the family a price of one million was asked for the property.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

In 1995 the school board approved a contract with Stebbins and Scott Architectural firm to proceed with the plans for the new facilities.\u00a0 Because of the budget, the school was to be completed in separate sections.\u00a0 The academic part first, then the auditorium.<\/p>\n

During the middle of the 1994-1995 term, Dr. Lambertson was relocated to the county office and Mr. James Sullivan became the acting principal.\u00a0 He maintained this position through the 1995-96 term until Dr. Mary Lou Goldberg came on board in September of 1996.<\/p>\n

Ribbon cutting was held for the new completed high school in 1997.\u00a0 Because of different ideas about the seating capacity and the square footage of the stage, the auditorium was delayed.\u00a0 After many starts and stops, the phase finally got under way.<\/p>\n

In 1999, Dr. Mary Goldberg was moved to another school and Mrs. Gerri McPherson was appointed principal.\u00a0 During these years, Lincoln Park excelled more and more in every aspect of the educational circles. \u00a0\u00a0From academics to the fine arts, LPA students are well-known nationally and internationally.<\/p>\n

We stand here today on the threshold of a new beginning.\u00a0 This auditorium is being dedicated to all of the students of Lincoln Park.\u00a0 This was not constructed for one segment, but for all to enjoy and use.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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\u00a0Lincoln Park Auditorium on January 23, 2001. In researching the history of my church, the Saint Paul AME Church, recently,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-9872","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","description-off"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-17 05:56:11","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/lpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9872","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/lpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/lpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/lpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/lpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9872"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/lpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9872\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9957,"href":"https:\/\/schools.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/lpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9872\/revisions\/9957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/schools.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/lpa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}