Froebel School - Gary, IN
N 41° 35.269 W 087° 20.583
16T E 471406 N 4604070
There are two concrete remains preserved at the site of the former Froebel School in Gary, Indiana.
Waymark Code: WM172CG
Location: Indiana, United States
Date Posted: 11/25/2022
Views: 0
At the site of the former Froebel School located at 400 W 15th Ave, Gary, IN 46407 there are two concrete remnants preserved as part of the remembrance of the 1912 school. Some history from the Indiana historical marker at the site:
Side One
Froebel opened here, 1912, as many European immigrants and southern blacks moved to Gary for jobs in steel mills. An experiment in progressive education, it served students of diverse backgrounds and the local community. Despite early status as integrated school, black students were excluded from many extracurricular activities and facilities into 1940s. Closed 1977.
Side Two
After WWII, Froebel made national headlines when hundreds of white students walked out protesting "integration experiment" there. "Hate strikes" lasted several weeks in 1945 and reflected growing racial tension in North. In 1946, Gary school board adopted desegregation policy, but discrimination continued. Indiana state law desegregating public schools passed 1949.
The first preserved item is the ornate concrete nameplate of the school which says FROEBEL SCHOOL with a design and a God like figure head above. To the left and right of this are two square panels with symbols of learning and two more busts.
Elsewhere in the park is a second location with a similar bust and design. For further details about the architecture of the former school, read
here