Meridian Baptist Seminary facts for kids
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Meridian Baptist Seminary
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Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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 Location in Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Location | 16th St. and 31st Ave., Meridian, Mississippi |
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| Built | 1920 |
| Architect | Tom Ware; et al. |
| NRHP reference No. | 79001326 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | January 8, 1979 |
| Removed from NRHP | July 16, 2008 |
The Meridian Baptist Seminary was an important school in Meridian, Mississippi. It was created to provide education for African-American students. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Sadly, a fire destroyed the building in 2007. Because of this, it was removed from the list in 2008.
Contents
A Look Back at Meridian Baptist Seminary
Early Days and Important Education
The Meridian Baptist Seminary first opened its doors in 1896. Classes were held in the basement of the New Hope Baptist Church. In 1905, a new two-story building was constructed. The school then moved to this new location.
Later, in 1920, that building was taken down. A new brick building was built in its place. Local African-American carpenters worked to build this new structure. The seminary offered a full high school program for Black students. It also had classes to help students get ready for college. Plus, it taught job skills. It was the first school in Mississippi to give high school diplomas to African-American students.
The school was very successful in the 1920s and 1930s.
A Place for Change: The Civil Rights Era
By 1949, the school began to change. It started offering only two-year high school certificates. Over time, fewer academic programs were available.
During the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, the seminary played a special role. It hosted several "Freedom Schools". These schools were places where people learned about civil rights. They also helped people register to vote. The seminary was called "the palace of the Freedom School circuit." This was because it hosted a big meeting for these schools. The meeting happened on August 8, 1964. This was the day after the funeral of James Chaney. He was one of the civil rights workers who had been killed.
The End of an Era
The Meridian Baptist Seminary closed its doors in 1972. After that, the building was used only rarely. For almost ten years, it was empty due to safety worries. Then, on September 16, 2007, a fire broke out overnight. The building burned completely to the ground. Investigators tried to find out what caused the fire. But the damage was so bad that they could not determine the reason.
