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Athens High and Industrial School Recognized in New Historical Marker

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Athens, GA, August 12, 2010-- The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) along with the AHIS/BHHA Alumni Association, will unveil a new historical marker to recognize the Athens High and Industrial School. The dedication will be held across the street from the Hill Street Baptist Church at 205 N. Pope Street in Athens on August 14, 2010, at 12:00 p.m.  

Athens High and Industrial School (AHHS) began as the Reese Street School in 1914 as a facility to teach elementary-aged African-American children.  Two years later, authorities renamed the school Athens High and Industrial when they removed the lower grades to focus primarily on high school education.  Alice Barrows Fernandez of the U.S. Department of the Interior stated in 1921 that "Athens is justly proud of the fact that it has the first and only Negro high school in Georgia. Among the many educational achievements of Athens few are more significant than the development of this school. The fine spirit of the school and the progressive and thorough work being done there are things of which the city may well be proud." The marker text reads as follows:

Historical markers, which recognize people, places and events, are effective tools for economic development, connecting tourists and students of all ages to the places where history happened and encouraging local tourism and general state-wide interest.  GHS has administered Georgia's historical marker program since 1998, erecting over 150 markers statewide.