Hampton Street School

Front inscription

By 1895, this intersection was the site of the Laurens Colored School, eventually known as Hampton Street School. In that year, Thomas Sanders became principal and taught 60-100 students with his wife, Rachel Sanders. It was housed in a wooden building behind St. Paul Baptist Church and supported by local African American residents. It was rebuilt after a 1912 fire that also burned the church and the Sanders family home.

Reverse inscription

Hampton Street School was located in what was once known as the “Possum Hollow” neighborhood. It served grades 1-10 until 1937, when Thomas Sanders High School opened 1.3 mi. SE. Hampton Street School then became an elementary school for grades 1-7. The school closed in 1954 and was replaced by a new Thomas Sanders Elementary School, built near the high school with funds from the S.C. equalization program.