STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 9
WASHINGTON SCHOOL PROJECT
BRIDGES PAST AND FUTURE STILLWATER
In the first half of the 20th century , Oklahoma was home to more than 50 Black schools . The school alumni commonly refer to Washington School as the only remaining structure documenting the history of Black Stillwater .
Iris Slade tried four times to get the Booker T . Washington School on Twelfth Street listed as a historical site .
Since its final closure in 1967 just after desegregation , the former all-Black school had been used for multiple purposes .
It served as classrooms for Head Start . It was a domestic violence shelter , with the wings used as separate rooms . An after-school program used it for a gymnastics class . It was a community Christmas store at one point . A performance space , an office space . Then it sat empty for almost 20 years . “ We ’ ve been trying to put this building up on the historical society ever since our Head Start closed ,” Slade said .
No one took her seriously . Many locals didn ’ t remember the history of the school , many Black families moved away .
But things started moving forward in recent years , as Oklahoma State University staff and members of the community became aware of the need to preserve the school and land .
Slade said many people ask her if she really knows the history of the school .
“ No , but fight for it , anyway ,” she said .
A BLESSED LAND
As residents drive toward Twelfth Avenue , the land slopes down toward the school . Because it ’ s basically a valley , the area has experienced constant flooding over the years .
“ If you ’ re coming down from Sixth Avenue ( from the north ), you ’ re on an incline ,” Slade said . “ This is actually a valley . This is a blessed land .”
In 1900 , a separate school for the 11 Black children who lived in Stillwater was opened . Initially , the students were taught in a simple wood-frame building and served students in 1st through 8th grades . As the Black community grew , so did the educational opportunities .
The simple wood-frame building was moved several times , Slade said . Eventually , the need for a much larger building became apparent . In 1938 , a new T-shaped school building was built . In later years , more classrooms and an auditorium were added .
The school had its own football team , the Washington Bears , who won football titles in 1945 , 1947 , and 1950 , and basketball in 1954 . The Bears won a state championship in 1956 . There was also a marching band and cheerleader squad .
The Booker T . Washington School is one of three remaining Black schools in Oklahoma and the only one with the potential to be preserved , according to Preservation Oklahoma ’ s 2022 Most Endangered Places list .
In the first half of the 20th century , Oklahoma was home to more than 50 Black schools . The school alumni commonly refer to Washington School as the only remaining structure documenting the history of Black Stillwater .
Laura Arata , assistant professor of history at OSU , said that cities like Tulsa or Oklahoma City were big enough to have a Black school , but most of them did not survive , especially buildings from that period . Buildings that remain are in areas that are prone to natural disaster and have not had the best upkeep . And of all the Black towns in Oklahoma , only a few still have remnants of a school building – but none that are really intact .
“ It comes up in ( Stillwater ) community stories
STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 9