Site of J.H. Rowe School
Jasper, Jasper County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Formal public education for African American students in the Jasper area dates to 1875 and the formation of a school at nearby Cold Springs. It moved to a new campus in Jasper in 1924, the same year James Hoff Rowe came as administrator. Born in Panola County in 1876, Rowe attended Prairie View Normal and Industrial College (Prairie View A&M University) and Hampton Institute in Virginia. He served as dean at Prairie View before coming to Jasper. The education programs increased in scope and significance during his leadership, and he remained principal until his death in 1943. The school was later named in his honor, and it remained open until integration in 1968. (2004)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Formal public schooling for African American students near Jasper began in 1875 at Cold Springs and moved to a Jasper campus in 1924, the same year James Hoff Rowe arrived as administrator. A graduate of Prairie View and Hampton Institute who had served as a dean at Prairie View, Rowe led the school to expanding scope and stature until his death in 1943. Renamed in his honor, the school served the community until integration closed it in 1968.
Why it matters
Schools like this were the cornerstone of Black education in the segregated South, and their closing at integration marks a bittersweet turning point in the civil rights era.
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Related people
- · James Hoff Rowe
Related events
- · School integration (1968)
Themes & tags
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