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Webster, Rock Hill, Crestwood, Kirkwood

James Milton Turner School

Meachum Park

Open to public /  Not Open to public

The school was opened in 1925 with an enrollment of 230 students. It is a two-story U-shaped brick building. The original wooden building of the school was demolished after two brick buildings were constructed, the first in 1937 (north section) and the second in 1948 (U-shaped south front of the building), establishing the school current exterior form. It was closed in the 1976 - 1977 school year in response to a federally mandated push to address racial isolation in the Kirkwood School District.

On June 12, 2021, the Kirkwood School District announced that it intends to purchase the building for use as its Administrative Services Center (to house the offices of the district's administrators) and subsequently continue to rent the rest of the building to existing tenants. The move will increase the district's presence in the Meacham Park neighborhood and allow the district's current Administrative Services Center on the campus of North Kirkwood Middle School to be replaced with eight classrooms for students. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The other school for African Americans in the area, Booker T. Washington, was closed in 1950 and demolished. It has been converted into an office building.

SOURCE: The historical information presented on this page is adapted with permission from Discovering African American St. Louis: A Guide to Historic Sites by Dr. John A. Wright, Sr. We are honored to share his invaluable research and historical insights, made available through the generous consent of Dr. Wright and the Missouri Historical Society Press. Their dedication to preserving and celebrating the rich legacy of Black St. Louis is a gift to our community—a testament to those who came before us and a guide for those who walk the path forward.

John Wright Discovering AA St. Louis.jpg

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