Frederick Douglass School (Key West)

Frederick Douglass School was a school for African American children in Key West's[1] Bahama Village neighborhood.[2] It opened in 1870. William Middleton Artrell (died 1903), who also served on Key West's city council in 1875 and 1876, headed the school. He was a temperance advocate. He also worked at Stanton Institute in Jacksonville.

Frederick Douglass school in a Sanborn fire map for Key West, Florida

The school was expanded with buildings for Douglass Jr. High School and Douglass High School. Prior to the high school being built in the 1920s, African American students had to travel outside Key West for educational opportunities beyond the 8th grade.[3]

Mildred Shaver was the school's principal in the early 20th century.[4]

What is now the College of the Florida Keys held its first classes when it opened in 1965 at the former Douglass High School building.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Clayton Lopez recalls segregation in Key West". Florida Keys Weekly Newspapers. January 24, 2020.
  2. ^ "Key West The Newspaper - Key West's Black Community Fighting for Survival -". Key West The Newspaper. April 8, 2016.
  3. ^ Sawyer, Norma Jean; Wells-Bowie, LaVerne (July 13, 2002). Key West. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738506845 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ McCarthy, Kevin M. (July 24, 2019). African American Sites in Florida. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781561649518 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "History of CFK".

24°33′00″N 81°48′06″W / 24.5500°N 81.8017°W / 24.5500; -81.8017