Colleton County · Marker 15-22
Colleton Training School
229 Gruber St., Walterboro
Front inscription
Colleton Training School opened in 1925 and served African American students in the elementary and high school grades. In 1954 it was renamed Colleton High and remained in use until 1970 when Colleton County schools were desegregated. During World War II the school was temporary home of the USO established for ue by black servicemen, including the Tuskegee Airmen, who were trained at Walterboro Army Airfield.
Gruber Street USO
In 1944 a federal grant allowed for the construction of a purpose-built USO for black servicemen. Built adjacent to the original Colleton Training School it included an auditorium and dance floor. The USO hosted weekly dances, live music, and games. It was necessary to have a USO for black soldiers because other facilities in Walterboro were segregated and did not admit black troops. After the war the building was repurposed for use by Colleton Training School.