Thomas School
The Thomas School was an early school, built for black children, in the Birmingham Public School System. The building, located at 3420 2nd Avenue North in North Avondale, was designed by African-American architect Wallace Rayfield. It was put into service around 1910 and was considered exceptional among schools for African Americans for its quality of design and equipment. A 1912 report in The Survey related that the teachers and students too "much pride in keeping it free from marks of use.
For a while, the building served as a special services counseling center for the Board of Education, but was eventually abandoned and fell into disrepair with parts of the roof collapsing.
In 2002 the Birmingham City Council unanimously passed a resolution to approve a forty year lease of the Thomas School property to the Jimmie Hale Mission, which proposed to stabilize and refurbish the property as its new home. At the end of the the $1/year lease, the mission would have the option to purchase the property from the city for $100. (Ordinance No. 02-131). The mission broke ground on the improvements in 2005 and expects to move in summer 2006.
References
- McKelway, A. J. (January 6, 1912) "Conservation of Childhood." The Survey Special issue "Birmingham: Smelting Iron Ore and Civics." Vol. 27, No. 14, pp. 1515-26 - accessed from the Birmingham Public Library's digital collections April 12, 2007