Restore the historic Girard Elementary School

The Purpose of the GOFUNDME is to aid in the process of restoration and rehabilitation of the historic Girard Elementary School at 9691 Highway 23 South, Girard, Georgia. Girard Elementary School operated from 1955 to 1987. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Girard Elementary School was built by the State of Georgia as an “equalization school” as an attempt to satisfy the “separate but equal” doctrine of the Plessy v Ferguson Supreme Court decision. Although they were built after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v Board of Education decision (which made segregated education illegal), many like Girard operated for 33 years after this decision.

These schools were all built in the international style of architecture. They have brick walls, long banks of windows and flat roofs. As they were built before common use of air conditioning, air flow was a key design feature.

Once the restoration is complete, the school will serve a variety of needs within the community. It will become a community center with programs for seniors, after school programs for children and offices for community service organizations. The Burke County Sheriff is looking into having a precinct office there. There are also plans to create a museum space to highlight the history of civil rights in Burke County and southeast Georgia.