Lincoln School
About this property
Lincoln School in Canton, Missouri is a former school for the African-American children of Canton and surrounding areas of Lewis County, Missouri. Built in 1880, it served the community until 1955 when it closed in the aftermath of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. The school was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Currently only the exterior is available for public viewing. The education of African-American children in the Canton area dates to 1866 when the former post office was converted into classrooms. Students in grades one through eight were the primary focus, but some adults also attended. The school only lasted one year, however, as the Canton Board of Education could no longer afford the five dollar monthly rental on the building nor the fifty dollar per month salary of S.S. Sellers, the school's first teacher. A second effort was made in 1868 in a different location and a lower teacher salary. By 1870 the school had taken up residence in Canton's African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church. In an effort to provide at least some education opportunity to former slaves, adults were again allowed to attend provided they pay a dollar per month tuition. The construction of a new school for Canton's white students in 1871 pointed out the glaring contrast in quality of educational facilities and caused resentment in the town's African-American community. Some repairs and upgrades were made to the AME church in 1872 but the discord continued. In 1880, the town's African-American residents presented a petition to the Canton Board of Education again asking for a better facility, this time prompting the forming of a committee to investigate the cost. In a special election held on May 1, 1880 Canton voters approved the expenditure of $800 for construction of a new colored school. Bids were requested soon after the election, with the winning bid of $700 by J.S. Eaton being accepted. The finished structure was 42 feet by 24 feet, constructed of red brick walls 13 inches (330 mm) thick, set on a foundation of limestone blocks in ashlar. Outside ornamentation was limited, with a wooden floor interior. Due to repeated flooding by the nearby Mississippi River, the wooden floor became unusable and was later replaced with concrete. The school was constructed on land originally set aside as a public park. Indeed, today the surrounding area is known as Martin Park. Lincoln School's first teacher was M.L. Clay, hired at a salary of $35 per month. In addition to educating children during the day, at his own expense Clay taught night classes for adult African-Americans.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Lincoln School listed on the National Register?
Lincoln School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 10, 1983.
What type of historic resource is Lincoln School?
Lincoln School is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Lincoln School?
The period of significance for Lincoln School is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Lincoln School?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Lincoln School will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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