Palmetto High School

Front inscription

Palmetto High School, completed in 1953, was built as a school for African American students. It replaced the previous Palmetto High School, which was a Rosenwald School completed in 1924. The new school was one of the equalization schools built in the early 1950s as part of an effort to equalize African American educational facilities. It opened in the spring of 1954 with James T. McCain as principal.

Reverse inscription

When completed, the new high school was described as “modern in every detail and constructed entirely of concrete, masonry, and steel.” The class of 1970 was the last to graduate from Palmetto High School. Court rulings finally implemented public school integration in 1970-71 and the white and black high schools were combined. The building then became Palmetto Middle School.