Wechsler School facts for kids
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Wechsler School
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Unrestored section of Wechsler School
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 Location in Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Location | Meridian, Mississippi |
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| Built | 1894 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 91000880 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 15, 1991 |
The Wechsler School is an important historic school building in Meridian, Mississippi. It was built in 1894 and holds a special place in history. This school was the very first brick public school in Mississippi built with public money specifically for African-American children.
Originally, Wechsler School taught students from first to eighth grade. Later, it grew to include high school classes too. The school was named after Rabbi Judah Wechsler. He was a leader from Congregation Beth Israel. Rabbi Wechsler helped inspire the people of Meridian to approve a special fund to build the school. The Wechsler School was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. It was also named a Mississippi Landmark in 1993.
Contents
The History of Wechsler School
How Wechsler School Began in 1894
Public education in Meridian started around 1870. For many years, a group of people called the Board of School Directors managed the schools. The first public school for African Americans in Meridian used rented rooms at St. Paul Methodist Church.
In 1888, the state government allowed Meridian to have its own school district. Soon after, the city approved $30,000 to build new public schools. This was a big step for education in the city.
By 1894, many children in Meridian were African American. Because of this, $15,000 was used to buy the land for the new school. The school was named after Rabbi Judah Wechsler. He had worked hard to get people excited about building this important school. While another brick school for African Americans was built earlier in Natchez, Wechsler School was the first one built with public funds in Mississippi.
The first Wechsler School building had two floors and was built in the Italianate style. The first floor had six rooms, and the second floor had two rooms and a large hall. The building was heated by coal fireplaces at first. A small building nearby stored the coal. In 1914, the school got modern steam heating, so the coal storage was no longer needed.
Growing Bigger: Additions and More Students
In 1914, more money was approved to improve all of Meridian's schools. Wechsler School used some of this money to build a new brick section. This new part was added to the south of the original building. It helped make space for the increasing number of students.
The new section also had two floors. The second floor was connected to the old building by a special walkway. Both floors of the new section were used as classrooms. The school kept growing and added more grades. By 1921, it taught students all the way up to twelfth grade.
Wechsler School was the first public school in this part of Mississippi to offer high school diplomas to black students. It was the only one until 1937. That year, the high school program moved to the new T.J. Harris High School. In the 1920s, the outside of the original 1894 building was covered with stucco. Inside, the first floor was changed to have offices, classrooms, and restrooms.
In 1922, Wechsler School started offering classes for adults. It also became a place where teachers could get more training. Many teachers graduated from these programs at Wechsler. The school had its largest graduating class in 1935-36, with eighty-seven students finishing school.
Changes and New Uses for Wechsler
After 1937, when the high school moved, Wechsler School became an elementary and junior high school. It continued to serve students until 1971. Another new section was added to the school in 1951. This part included four classrooms, a hall, a stage, a cafeteria, and rooms for teachers.
From 1971 to 1983, the school was used as a kindergarten for both black and white children. But after the 1983 school year, it closed its doors as a school. For a few years, a theater group used the building. Then, it was empty for four years.
In 1990, people in the community formed the Wechsler Community Art Center. They wanted to save the building. The school was recognized as a historic place in 1991 and 1993. In 1994, the school board gave the building to the Art Center group. This group has been working to raise money to fix up the building. They want to turn it into an art center and a place for the community to use. There's also been talk recently about making it a charter school.
Past Principals of Wechsler School
Even before the school building was finished in 1894, a principal was chosen to help plan it. Here are some of the people who led Wechsler School:
- E.H. Triplett (1888–1896)
- O.C. Garrett (1896–1902)
- William Hopkins (1902–1916)
- R.S. Groosley (1916–1918)
- Thomas J. Harris (1918–1937)
- Lydia Carr (1937–1945)
- Jennie Ruth Crump (1945–????)
