History of the Historic Sykesville Carroll County Maryland Colored
Schoolhouse
Historic Colored Schoolhouse, Then & Now
Retrieved March 28, 2016
Sykesville Colored Schoolhouse Timeline
June 1903: Two “colored” men approach the Board of Education
to construct a school in Sykesville
July 1903: Asa Hepner sells just under 1 acre of ground with
use of the well pump to the Carroll County Board of Education for $134
October 1903: Second-hand desks from the Detour “white”
school are shipped to Sykesville
December 1903: Commissioner DeVries orders $530.50 be paid
to the builder
January 4, 1904: This Monday was the first day of classes at
the Sykesville “Colored” School
November 1904: Carroll and Howard Counties reduced the cost
of out-of-county school permits for “colored” pupils to $2 per term
October 1916: George Selby installs a new “iron” roof for
$99.38. During 1916-1917, 32 pupils were enrolled
February 1920 to April 1921: The County contributes $20 for
library and supplies plus $25 donated by the local community
August 1928: The Board matches the $10 raised locally to buy
a Victrola for the school
May 1938: The County approves a consolidation plan for the
county’s “colored” schools; Gladys Sheppard is the last teacher at Sykesville
May to July 1939: The County votes to sell the Sykesville
School; it is auctioned on July 5, sold for $100. The building is converted to
a residence
Conversion to the Museum
The Sykesville Schoolhouse Museum is a labor of love as well
as a work in progress, being restored to its 1916 appearance. Built between
July and December 1903, at a cost of $530.50, the building has lived many
lives.
Between January 1904 and May 1938 it was a one-room
schoolhouse, managed by local community trustees, for children of the
surrounding black community from both sides of the Patapsco River during the
days of segregation.
Between July 1939 and late 1981 the building served as a
residence with its main floor divided into four rooms. Since 1982, the building
was repeatedly slated for demolition but was saved each time by the efforts of
local residents.
By the mid-1990’s, with support from the Town of Sykesville,
the project was in line to receive state restoration seed grants. However,
their implementation was delayed while deeds and other issues were resolved.
Millennium celebrations provided a major boost in the effort to save the
Schoolhouse.
The White House Millennium Council, in partnership with the
National Trust for Historic Preservation, listed the Schoolhouse as a Save
America’s Treasures Project, and the Maryland Commission for Celebration 2000
selected it as a statewide Treasure of the Month. The same year the Maryland
House and Garden Pilgrimage selected the Sykesville Schoolhouse as the county
and statewide beneficiary project for the year.
Restoration
The Schoolhouse is being restored in phases based on
structural needs and available budget. Our first phase of work, which is
nearing completion, contains the most noticeable work on the building making it
weather tight, secure and removing some alterations made to convert the school
to a residence.
Even though construction is not complete, we are always
happy to open for special events, tours and welcome any opportunity for the
community to check on our progress.
Future projects include installing electricity, heat, and
air conditioning, and refinishing the interior surfaces. Later phases will
include the addition of facilities like storage, bathrooms, and meeting the
landscape demands of our hillside location.
This work will be completed as financial support for the
Schoolhouse becomes available. Our goal is to open the site on a regular basis
once the basic construction work is complete.
Goals
Since the beginning of the effort to save the Schoolhouse,
the objective has been to preserve the site by creating a museum and community
center. Initially, the effort was under taken by members of the Schoolhouse
Road community. As the project developed, the Town of Sykesville offered
support in meeting these goals.
A volunteer, non-profit entity, the Sykesville Development
Corporation (SDC) was created to oversee and direct the project. The SDC’s
mission is to preserve the Schoolhouse by telling the story of the building’s
past and ensuring its role in the community’s future.
To accomplish the goal of opening a museum, a living history
approach is underway. Visitors will have an opportunity to return to the days
when one teacher managed 6 or 7 grades with 40 or more pupils in just one room.
To fill in the broad gaps in the Schoolhouse’s history, several research
initiatives have been started.
College interns have researched written records from
newspapers, land records, minutes from early Board of Education meetings, and
the like. A local anthropologist has volunteered to record oral histories about
the Schoolhouse and recollections of the community.
Join the Effort to Save the Schoolhouse
Once the Sykesville Schoolhouse is open it will be the first
museum in Carroll County devoted to African-American history. The Sykesville
Development Corporation (SDC), is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization
devoted to preserving the Sykesville Schoolhouse.
We have many needs in order to make the dream a reality,
please fill out our online form to help save the schoolhouse.
Gifts should be made payable to: Sykesville Development
Corporation Mail to:
P.O. Box 1044
Sykesville, MD 21784
If you would like to consider supporting this effort and
need more information, please email Patricia Greenwald at 410-489-6540.
Pat Greenwald
524 Schoolhouse Road
Sykesville, MD 21784
Phone: 410-795-8959
Researching an article on Warren G. Dorsey… Related:
Mon. March 21, 2016 Spent the evening with good friends at the 24th annual
Human Relations Commission awards dinner to honor the amazing life and work of
Warren Dorsey.
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