Old Lincoln High School facts for kids

Lincoln High School (also known as Lincoln Academy) was an important high school in Tallahassee, Florida. People often called it "Historic Lincoln High School" or "Old Lincoln". It was a special school because it was built for African American students during a time when schools were separate for different races. This school is not connected to the current Lincoln High School in Leon County.

The Story of Lincoln High School

The main building of Lincoln High School.

The Lincoln High School Tigers mascot.

How It All Began

Lincoln Academy first opened its doors in 1869. This was right after the American Civil War, during a time called Reconstruction. It was the very first school for African Americans in Leon County, Florida. An organization called the Freedmen's Bureau, which helped formerly enslaved people, built the school.

At one point, Lincoln Academy was one of only three schools in Florida that offered high school education to African American students. It was known as one of the best-equipped schools in the state, with about 250 students.

Moving to New Homes

The first Lincoln Academy was located on Copeland and Lafayette Streets. In 1872, a fire sadly destroyed the school building. For four years, African American students in the area had no school.

In 1876, the school reopened in a new building. This new location was on Copeland Street, where Florida State University is today. Lincoln Academy stayed there until 1906. Then, its final building was built on Brevard and Macomb Streets. The old building was later used by Florida State College for Women for music and gym classes. It was torn down around 1965.

From 1887 to 1889, the school that later became Florida A&M University used Lincoln Academy's facilities. It then moved to a new building nearby and later to its current campus.

Life at Lincoln High

Lincoln High School had rival schools, including FAMU High School and Griffin High School. Griffin High is now Griffin Middle School. Sometimes, Lincoln High was very crowded. Because of this, some younger African American students went to Bond School (now Bond Elementary) for grades 1 through 9.

Lincoln High also offered evening classes for adults. These were called vocational classes, which taught job skills. Students could learn things like tailoring, cosmetology (beauty skills), welding, Spanish, and nursing. The school was also part of the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Association, which organized sports for schools.

John G. Riley was a very important person. He was the first African American to become a principal of a school in Leon County. He led Lincoln Academy before it became Lincoln High School. Near Lincoln High, there was also the Lincoln Nursery Center, a place for young children who were not yet ready for first grade.

The School Closes Its Doors

In the late 1960s, schools in the United States began to integrate. This meant that students of all races could attend the same schools. Because of this, Lincoln High School closed down in 1967-1968.

The last class to graduate as Lincoln High School Tigers was the Class of 1967. After Lincoln closed, its last two classes (1968 and 1969) were transferred to Griffin. The school was then briefly called Lincoln-Griffin High.

Lincoln High School had a long history, moving through three different stages and four buildings. The city fire department did not respond to the 1872 fire that destroyed Lincoln Academy. This was because they had "insufficient hoses," meaning not enough water hoses.

Lincoln's Legacy Today

Lincoln High was named after a small area in Tallahassee called Lincoln Heights. This area was later changed and is now part of Historic Frenchtown. The land for the school was originally owned by an African American couple. They sold it to Leon County Schools for $150 in 1876.

Some parts of the old Lincoln High, like the gym and vocational buildings, were torn down. However, the main building still stands. It is now known as the Lincoln Neighborhood Center and offers various community services. There is also the Lincoln Room Museum, where people can visit and see old items from the school. A special sign, carved into the building, still says "Lincoln High School Home of the Tigers." The area that was once the school's auditorium is now the gym, but the stage is still there.

After Lincoln High School closed, the school that is now Amos P. Godby High School was supposed to be named Lincoln High. It was also meant to have the same colors, mascot, and traditions. However, the head of the school district at the time wanted the new school named after him. So, Godby High School has Lincoln's colors, but its mascot is the Cougar instead of the Tiger.

On May 14, 1992, "Old Lincoln" was officially recognized as a special historical site. This was done by the Historic Preservation Society Florida Heritage Foundation and the Historic Tallahassee Preservation Board. Part of the campus was used by SAIL High School from 1975 until 2007, when SAIL High moved to a new location.

School Colors and Mascot

The school's colors were royal blue and white. Their mascot was the Tiger.

Famous People Who Attended

• Wally Amos
• Carrie P. Meek