A Look at Our Past: The Lincoln School

The Lincoln School for Colored Children operated in Crawfordsville from its inception in 1881 to 1947. The first location opened in September of 1882, at the corner of Spring and North Walnut, with 42 students. The land and buildings of the school provided a safe space for the black community to socialize and learn. In 1952, the last building of the school was converted into a recreation center under the Crawfordsville Parks and Recreation Department. That building was demolished in 1981. The city of Crawfordsville has plans to create a green space at the location thanks to an anonymous donor.

Two local residents, Shannon Sullivan Hudson and Vicke Hudson Swisher, received a grant to conduct research and write a book about the Lincoln School for Colored Children. The book, To Remember the Forgotten School, is available at the Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County for $20. The Museum is hosting an exhibit based on the book’s research through the end of February. You can visit the exhibit Wednesday through Saturday from 10 am-5 pm.

If you would like to meet the authors and learn more about the Lincoln School, Shannon and Vicke will be at the January meeting of the Genealogy Club of Montgomery County, Indiana.  The meeting will happen in the Donnelly Room at the Crawfordsville District Public Library on Jan 9, from 7:00-8:00 pm.  This will be the first in a series of talks on the Lincoln School.  Everyone is welcome to attend the program; there is no need to be a member of the genealogy club. The January talk will feature the laws creating schools and early education in Indiana, as well as the buildings housing The Lincoln School through the decades.

Thanks to the research done by Shannon and Vicke, the Indiana Historical Bureau has announced that the Lincoln School will be one of sixteen new historical markers placed in 2024. To be eligible for a historical marker the topic must be of national or statewide significance and supported by proper documentation. You may have seen the black markers at other places around Montgomery County and Crawfordsville like the Carnegie Museum or Lane Place.  A full list of state markers can be found at the Indiana Historical Bureau website Historical Markers by County. Currently, fundraising is happening to cover the installation of The Lincoln School marker.

To make an appointment for further research about our local history, please contact our Local History Specialist, Dellie Craig at (765)362-2242, Ext. 119. The Crawfordsville District Public Library is open on Sundays from 1-5pm, Mondays through Thursdays from 9 am-9 pm, and Fridays and Saturdays from 9 am-5 pm.