The history of Joseph A. Craig Elementary School dates back to 1853 when the Bayou Road School, its predecessor, was an institution for white girls. It was named after a street (still existing today) and was housed until 1922 on several residential sites in the vicinity of Bayou Road and North Claiborne Avenue. By 1871, the school was converted into an institution for colored children with pupils attending who spoke almost exclusively French Creole but English spoken during school hours. By 1877, it was designated for only colored girls, but by 1900 became co-educational Before 1907 the administrators, clerical staff, and teachers at the Bayou Road School were all white. In 1907, the entire faculty and staff, including the principal, were replaced with black women. It was then that Miss Mary Dora Coghill, a graduate of Straight College, became principal of the Bayou Road School. Attorney A.P. Tureaud was a student at the school at this time and spoke of Agnes Bauduit, Priscilla Waterhouse, and Fannie C. Williams who, along with Miss Coghill, exposed him to the accomplishments and contributions of Creoles and African American men and women. The seeds of Attorney Tureaud’s cultural consciousness were sown during his years here and he states that he benefitted from the instructional program because of the skill and dedication of his teachers. As the enrollment continued to increase after 1907, students were housed in four framed residential buildings as compared to the four room, slate roof structures of the past. When the September Storm of 1915 hit New Orleans, all four school buildings were destroyed In 1916, a new site was purchased and (for the first time) a three- story cement school costing $125,000 was erected. A resolution was passed and the name of the Bayou Road School was changed to Joseph Adolphus Craig in honor of a highly respected man of color who was a barber, civic leader, prominent Democrat and the appointee to the first post- Reconstruction school board in New Orleans. Joseph A. Craig School officially opened in February, 1923 with an additional junior high and manual training department. Mr. Lawrence Desmond Crocker was named associate principal to Miss Coghill. While the Craig School was under construction at Bayou Road & Derbigny Streets, residents of the neighborhood vigorously protested that this area was unsuitable for a Negro school since the neighborhood was distinctly white. James Fortier, president of the school board, even stated that black children in white neighborhoods would threaten white supremacy. Black community leaders fought back and, after much debate, the board voted to allow the students to attend Craig until a new black school could be built on St. Philip Street. Craig students were once again forced to relocate. The new building was in the square bounded by Marais, Ursuline Ave., North Villere and St. Philip Streets; the site of today’s location. The three story brick structure contained 36 classrooms plus carpentry, brick masonry as well as home economics departments, and an auditorium. By 1927, Craig housed 1,487 students from 1st through the 9th grade with 34 teachers. The girls were taught cooking and sewing and they prepared hot lunches for 400 children at a cost of 3 cents each day. They also made their own sewing aprons, cooking aprons, caps and dish towels. Enrollment was so large that students were forced to attend half- day classes. Finally, the junior high was transferred to Albert E. Wicker School on Bienville and North Derbigny Streets to help alleviate overcrowding. In spite of its problems, Craig was an excellent school with an outstanding faculty and a very involved PTA. O.C.W. Taylor, writer for The Louisiana Weekly, spoke highly of Craig, the school he transported his child to in 1927 which was twenty- five blocks away from his home. By 1930, operettas, plays, May festivals and pageants were held every year. Today, Joseph A. Craig Elementary School is still located in the historic Treme area of New Orleans. It was one of the first schools to reopen (April 2006) in the city after Hurricane Katrina. By 2010, extensive roof and termite damage caused it to close but the Craig community was determined it would not be torn down. Many generations have passed through these doors and older graduates refer to the school as “Craig University” since it was the highest some had ever attained. Through their efforts, the historic structure still stands (as shown above) more beautiful than ever before. It now operates as a Recovery School District- Charter School at 1423 St. Philip Street
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 09:25:49 +0000
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