For Immediate Release:
August 12, 2025
Contact:
Olivia Mitchell
Marketing Manager
Culture & Heritage Museums
www.chmuseums.org
803.909.7244
Jefferson High School Historical Marker Dedication
YORK, S.C. – Culture & Heritage Museums in partnership with Jefferson Remembered, a group of Jefferson High School Alumni, and the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, will dedicate a historical marker honoring the legacy of Jefferson High School, the only high school for African American students in the city of York prior to integration. “This historical marker will commemorate the educational haven for thousands of African American children and youth from 1888 –1970. There can never be an end to the link between the wonderful past and our heritage for years to come,” said Phyllis Moore Ward, president of Jefferson Remembered.
The marker was funded by a generous grant from the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission’s 2023-2024 Historical Marker Funding Program, recognizing historic sites important to African American history and heritage across the state. Jefferson High School served as a cornerstone of education for African American students in York for decades. Limited integration began between 1965 and 1969, with full integration of the school system during the 1970-1971 academic year.
Jefferson High School was established on West Jefferson Street in 1903 and later relocated in 1924 to the then newly constructed Rosenwald building on Pinckney Street. The brick-veneered wood-framed facility followed a six-teacher plan that included an auditorium and supported industrial education through the on-site shop building. By 1962, the school’s four-acre campus had grown to include six buildings: two classroom buildings, a lunchroom, an education service center, a vocational and agricultural building, and a gymnasium.
The marker will be unveiled during a public dedication ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 11 a.m. on the historic site of the 1924 Rosenwald building on Pinckney Street, the former campus of Jefferson High. A drop-in reception will be held immediately following the ceremony hosted by Jefferson Remembered.
WHERE: Pinckney St. will be closed from Highway 321 and Highway 49 intersection to Highway 321. Parking available along the road near 16 Spruce St., York, S.C. Additional parking available behind York One Academy at 37 Pinckney St. York, S.C. 29745
WHEN: Aug. 30 at 11 a.m.
IMAGE:
Blue Devils logo, Jefferson High’s mascot
All images courtesy of Culture & Heritage Museums. Contact omitchell@chmuseums.org for high resolution images.
About Culture & Heritage Museums:
Culture & Heritage Museums is a family of museums throughout York County, SC that includes Museum of York County and Main Street Children’s Museum in Rock Hill; Historic Brattonsville in McConnells; and the McCelvey Center Campus in York, which includes the Lowry Family Theater, the Historical Center of York County, and the Southern Revolutionary War Institute. Culture & Heritage Museums is a Smithsonian Affiliate and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Learn more at chmuseums.org.
About Jefferson Remembered:
The formation of Jefferson Remembered began in July 2023 to document, commemorate and preserve the legacy of Jefferson High School by restoring historical buildings and sites and establishing and providing quality learning experiences to children and youth.
About The South Carolina African American Heritage Commission:
The South Carolina African American Heritage Commission (SCAAHC) works to increase the social, political and economic value of South Carolina African American heritage; encourage and demonstrate respect for all heritages; document and institutionalize African American heritage as an ongoing goal of preservation, and explore all areas of South Carolina for African American contributions.
###