From the beginning in 1916 until it’s closing in 1974, Booker T. Washington High School was a center for the education and training of young African Americans of Columbia, South Carolina.
The historic school began with elementary grades and became a standard high school in 1924. For many years it was the largest public high school for Blacks in South Carolina, and one of the few schools in the state accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
The BTW campus was developed in the southeastern section of Columbia at the corner of Marion and Blossom Streets. In 1923, a three-story fireproof building was erected to house the industrial department of the school. An annex containing 12 classrooms, laboratories, cafeteria and auditorium was built onto the main building in 1927. In 1939 a gymnasium and auditorium were added to the campus. A larger shop building was constructed in 1941 to house vocational classes for boys.
One of the underlying factors which aided the school’s progress was the dedicated faculty and staff of highly trained men and women who were committed to helping students develop and strengthen their basic skills.
BTW had seven principals during its history: Mr. C.A. Johnson (1916 – 1931); Mr. W.J. Cochrane (1931 – 1932); Mr. J. Andrew Simmons (1932 – 1945); Mr. John H. Whiteman (1945 – 1950); Mr. Harry B. Rutherford (1950 – 1965); Mr. Stonewall Richburg (1965 – 1972; and Mr. Samuel A. Heyward (1972 – 1974).
Public school desegregation in the state and the expansion of the University of South Carolina led to the closing of BTW in 1974 and utilization of the school’s facilities by USC.
The main classroom Builing was too old to save and had to be razed, but other buildings on the BTW grounds were used by three departments of the University. Facilities in the cafeteria and hom economics building were utilized by the USC College of Education for its early childhood education program. The locker rooms in the gymnasium, the auditorium and the vocational education building were converted to classrooms and administrative areas for the Art and Theater departments, and into research space for the USC School of Medicine.
The gymnasium was razed in the spring of 1999. The auditorium building is the only one remaining on the campus. Although Booker T. Washington High School no longer exists, its spirit lives on in the hearts of thousands who were educated there from 1916 – 1974.
The 1974 announcement to close Booker T. Washington High School created a furor of disbelief and indignation which permeated a community of loyal Washingtonians, their families and friends. The outcry protesting the sale of the school to the University of South Carolina without any eminent plan to rebuild or relocate the historic African-American landmark resulted in countless public meetings to resolve a highly charged conflict. The student body, alumni, and faculty were distraught. Community leaders rallied and spoke against the decision. On March 12, 1974, Frankie B. Outten, representing the faculty, presented to Richland County School District One Board of Commissioners “A Testimonial to Booker T. Washington High School” which captured the concerns and sentiments of those who were most injured by the school board’s decision.
