Selma Rosenwald School

Located in the rural community of Selma (Drew County), the Selma Rosenwald School is a well-preserved educational building that was constructed in 1924 to serve the African American children of eastern Drew County. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 2, 2006, and later came to serve as a community center.

Founded in antebellum Drew County, Selma was a small and prosperous community for decades. Located on higher land than nearby communities to the east, it served as an important trading location for surrounding farmers. The town incorporated in 1876 but was bypassed by railroads, leading to the eventual decline of the community.

Julius Rosenwald established his namesake fund in 1917 to pay for the construction of educational facilities across the South, exclusively for the use of Black students. Communities in Arkansas and other states raised funds, and the Julius Rosenwald Fund provided additional money to ensure that building projects could be completed.

During the 1924–25 budget year for the foundation, a total of $24,997 was allocated for projects in Arkansas and led to the construction of thirty-three schools, a home for teachers, and three additions to existing schools. The Selma community raised $500, the Rosenwald Fund gave the school district a grant of $700, and public funds provided the remaining $1,075 needed for the construction of the school.

Schools supported by the Rosenwald Fund could be constructed with a variety of plans, and the building at Selma used floor plan number twenty. The building included two classrooms and maximized the natural light to allow the students to see without using artificial methods of illumination. A centrally located Industrial Room provided an instruction space for industrial subjects, with female students learning about domestic work and male students studying agriculture.

Facing west, the school rests on a brick pier foundation. The roof is topped with asphalt shingles and includes gables with exposed rafter tails. A brick chimney is also present. The exterior of the building is clad in weatherboard painted white. At the time of the building’s addition to the National Register, the exterior had been modified from the original Rosenwald plan. Since that time, the building has been restored to look much as it did at the time of its construction. Entry is gained through two doors that lead into each classroom while taking visitors past the Industrial Room. Windows are located throughout the building to help illuminate the classrooms. A few modern modifications have been made to the building, including the addition of a ramp for handicap access and an HVAC system.

The site also included a small playground and baseball field; small portions of both remain. The plans for the school did not include restroom or cafeteria facilities. A small building housing restrooms was constructed to the northeast of the school with a cafeteria building moved to a location north of the school. Neither of these structures still stand.

Operating until 1964 as a school, the building then served a local Masonic group for several decades. The building serves as a community center in the twenty-first century. The Drew Central School District serves students from the community.

For additional information:
McNutt, Chelsea Deserea. “Arkansas’s Rosenwald Schools 1917–1924.” MA thesis, Arkansas State University, 2018.

“Selma Rosenwald School.” National Register of Historic Places registration form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online https://www.arkansasheritage.com/docs/default-source/national-registry/DR0277-pdf (accessed July 31, 2024).

David Sesser
Southeastern Louisiana University