The Clifton Colored School 1890-1891
N 28° 45.032 W 080° 46.160
17R E 522520 N 3180369
The marker for the Clifton Colored School is located in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Titusville, Florida, USA.
Waymark Code: WM2TVF
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 12/22/2007
Views: 44
The marker reads: "Before the Clifton Schoolhouse was built, Butler Campbell and Andrew Jackson's children were home schooled by a black teacher, Mr. Mahaffey. The County paid the teacher five dollars per student, but would not provide a schoolhouse. In 1890-91, Campbell and Jackson decided to build a schoolhouse. A neighbor, Wade Holmes provided a one-acre lot on the northwest corner of his property. The three men built a 12'x16' heart pine structure that sat on coquina cornerstones about one foot off the ground. The west-facing front was fitted with a double-paneled door. Two sets of glass-paned windows were on the north and south sides. The roof was made of cedar or cypress boards. Campbell's children included Florida, Eugenia, Agnes, Henry and Willie, Valedictorian in 1892. Jackson's children were Annie, Mary, Floyd and Douglas, Valedictorian in 1893. Studies included reading, physiology, English, math and Latin. By 1910, the children were out of school or attending school elsewhere. In 1924, Eugenia returned to Clifton and later lived in the structure. When NASA bought properties on North Merritt Island in the 1960s, the families relocated to other areas and most of the houses were moved or demolished."
Marker Number: F-557
Date: 2005
County: Brevard
Marker Type: Roadside
Sponsored or placed by: The Brevard County Historical Commission, the Brevard County Tourist Development Council, and the Florida Department of State
Website: [Web Link]
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