Savannah's Historical Public Schools

By Larry W. Smith

The story of Savannah's historic public schools, both black and white, is one of modest beginnings, noteworthy achievement, and remarkable people. As the small schoolhouses of downtown Savannah evolved into the sprawling educational complexes of today, they maintained an impressive record of service to the community's most important citizens: its young people. Savannah's commitment to public education is as old as the city itself; from the beginning, efforts were made to ensure that education was available to all. The opening of the Massie Common School in 1856 marked the start of the modern era of public education in Savannah. For the first time, a building was designed, built, staffed, and maintained for the express purpose of providing education to all of the city's children, regardless of their families' ability to pay. Massie Common School's first principal eventually left Savannah to become superintendent of Atlanta's public school system, paving the way for local politicians who took their school board experiences with them when they were elected to state office. These pioneers of public education in Savannah spread methods and practices established in local schools throughout the state.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Sep 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781439629574

Larry W. Smith

Savannah's Historic Public Schools tells the story, through approximately 200 images, of the growth of these institutions. Author Larry W. Smith is a native Savannahian and currently serves as the Heritage Education Teacher for Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools. He is vice-president of the Coastal Museums Association and a member of the Georgia Historical Society.

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INTRODUCTION

As a history teacher, I try to have students grasp two basic historical truths. The first is that we all play a part in the weaving together of human events that constitutes the broad fabric of history; and that as we live, we create an interesting personal history which is uniquely our own. Our sojourns through the educational system are a core component of our personal histories.

Savannah boasts the oldest public school system in the state of Georgia. There are more than 50 schools in the system as of this writing and many more that are long since gone. This book is in no way intended to be a comprehensive history of public education in Savannah; it is instead a look at the city’s earliest schools, the evolution of the system, and the experiences of teachers, administrators, and students who attended those schools in the early days of public education in Savannah.

For most of us, memories of school days are among our most cherished. It is a lifelong joy to recall with fondness and appreciation teachers and principals who exerted such profound influences on our lives when we were so very young; and it is equally satisfying to recount the injustices and punishments suffered at the hands of an especially harsh taskmaster. Other school memories include trips to and from school, field trips, athletics and other extracurricular activities, lunches, plays, proms, and especially classmates. Many of us enjoy lifelong friendships that were born in the hallways and classrooms of our schools.

The idea for this book came about when I became the heritage education teacher for Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools in September 2002. Working at the old Massie School, I could not help but be deeply impressed with the rich history of our schools. I am quite literally submerged in this history every day when I go to work.

One day I stumbled upon an old file containing letters written by a teacher named Emma Truslow, who worked in Savannah’s public schools a hundred years ago. As I read the letters, I was reminded of an experience I once had while teaching at Southwest Middle School. A seventh-grade student asked me to explain the difference between an educator and a teacher. It was a question of considerable depth coming from a 12-year-old, and I wish I had the letters of Emma Truslow available when I tried to answer, because they provided a profound answer.

Teachers work hard to advance their students. They are patient, kind, hard-working, conscientious, other-centered people. They will discipline students when necessary, but always with a view to improving their charges. Paradoxically they measure their success not by their own advancement but by the successes of others—their students. Educators are very much the same but with an important difference: they perform these same tasks, but as lifelong learners themselves, they also strive to recreate this passion for learning in their students. In my work I am in contact with many teachers of all grades, and I am happy to say that the vast majority of the teachers with whom I have worked are, indeed, educators.

It is my hope that this book will serve two primary purposes. The first is to give readers a historically accurate look at school life in the good old days and to provide an opportunity to relive some cherished memories from their early years. The second purpose is to remind educators in Savannah-Chatham County schools of today that they have a long history of success to draw upon. The challenges of today are certainly vastly different from those faced by the educators and students of yesterday, but they can be successfully overcome when met with the whatever it takes to succeed spirit that is so much a part of the story of the historic public schools of Savannah.

One

IN THE BEGINNING MASSIE COMMON SCHOOL

Georgia began as a trust colony administered by a board of trustees instead of a royal governor. The trustees provided the fledgling colony with a schoolmaster and supplies. Other educational opportunities for Savannah’s children soon became available. In 1788, Chatham Academy was chartered, and it opened in 1813. Chatham Academy charged tuition but shared space with the Savannah Free School, which provided education for indigent children. Pete Massie passed through Savannah as he traveled between Brunswick, Georgia, and Elizabethtown, New Jersey, and he became concerned about the many poor children who thronged the city’s streets. When he died