Cameron Elementary School
Cameron Elementary School was an elementary school in the Birmingham City Schools system located at 800 14 Street South in Birmingham's Southside. It opened in 1892 and, during segregation, it was open to black students only. The school was named in honor of Judge W. J. Cameron, who served on the Birmingham Board of Education from 1890 to 1896.
Cameron Elementary School's second floor housed the first classes for Industrial High School in 1900.
By 1923 the school was serving 986 students in grades 1-7, which was only a fraction of the demand from families living in the city's South-Central district, and at the same time almost three times as many students as the eight-room structure with its four added rooms could safely accommodate. its light wood frame construction was no longer considered suitable for public schools.
By 1945 the aging school served 815 students. Its only stair was supported by temporary braces and corrugated cardboard was used to patch over sections of broken plaster walls. In 1944 part of a plaster classroom ceiling collapsed, causing minor injuries to a student.
By 1952 Cameron had merged with Lane School and was operating as Cameron-Lane School at 410 13th Street South, while the old Cameron Annex remained in use.
References
- "City's Schools Sadly Need A Thorough Face-Lifting" (November 13, 1945) Birmingham Post
- "Conditions at each of city's 70 schools analyzed in detail by City Planning Board." (February 15, 1952) The Birmingham News