Peabody High School - Lion Yearbook (Petersburg, VA)

Page 6 text:

Peabody in Petersburg Petersburg, Virginia is one of the older cities of English Amer- ica . It embraces the site and memory of the most important fort on the Virginia frontier of the mid-seventeenth century. It became a town when towns were few in colonial Virginia . Similarly, the town became a manufacturing and transportation center when such centers were exceptions on the southern scene. Petersburg was a military objective and a battleground in two major wars. Certain aspects of its social and economic history are important to state and national history. Some of the residents of Petersburg have been persons of importance in history, and many of the foremost figures in American history have appeared, in one role or another, on the stage of Petersburg history. Later came the years of change in Petersburg in government and education. Previous to the Civil War, education in Petersburg was looked upon as a private matter and as a result, many ex- cellent private schools for white children and a few for Negroes came into being. In 1868 it was felt by the members of the first school board that no high school was needed for the Negroes, but the board ' s minutes mention four elementary schools for Negroes which were established. The council appropriated funds for the operation of these schools, but these were supplemented by funds provided by General Brown, Superintendent of Freedman ' s Bureau. Another source was the Peabody Fund and a contribution came from a lady resident of New York who wished to pay the salary of one teacher in the Negro schools . Then in this gleaming highlight of the history of Petersburg, a high school for Negroes, called Peabody High School was built in 1874 on the site of the present Bolling Junior High School on West Fillmore Street. Later a new building on Jones Street was erected and occupied and in 1951 the present building on the corner of Wesley and Jones Streets was completed at a cost of approximately $900, 000. This school is the oldest known public school for Negroes. Thus in the history of Petersburg stands a school that we all are very proud of. As seniors leaving this great school we have accomplished and experienced much in our five year stay. Jean Randolph Researcher 2

Page 5 text:

The Annual Staff Presents The

Page 7 text:

Foreword “Our aspirations are as trees — tall and stately” With the passage of years, you may look upon this school year as the time when the darkness of ignorance suddenly became bright with the gleam of knowledge . To preserve a record of these moments and the countless other experiences of you and your classmates, this annual strives to capture the eyes and mind of the scholarship, the leadership, the activities, and the character of Peabody High School. ALMA MATER k tdz 7 ta i ±1 e e 9 p use-hoJ {Poy ' o ' ? a B ii Tla-fey ou t £s lli Cftt oj 7Zy kb b “i y Ji-r isic e ' 7 Z 7 )gc l J Iffiy !( he ' sy 7 ‘ ' aH ' He. Ad S3 ?- ? 2 - [ t.’C.v ‘r 0 n 3 t r- A ea ' s As ■ ' y z W £r s4 o oA Ay 2 A; 9 vy ?S A c-e.