All are invited to join the Shiloh Community Development Corporation and the Wilkins Foundation in commemoration of the Higbee School and a celebration of Juneteeth on Saturday, June 15th from 1 to 4 p.m. at 20 Bellevue Avenue in Trenton.
In a joint effort, The Wilkins Foundation and Shiloh CDC, non-profit organizations in the Trenton Area, are committed to improving the quality of the residents in the Greater Trenton Communities through social programs, the arts, culture and education. The foundation is looking to hold an annually event with the Trenton community to bring awareness and tell the unique history of the Higbee School and its influence on the African American’s journey in America.
The Higbee Street School, located at 20 Bellevue Avenue, is also known as Bellevue Avenue School and John T. Nixon School. The school was designed by Evernham and Hill architectural firm, and the building was built in 1857.
The Higbee Street School was the first educational institution specifically constructed for the free public education of African-American students in Trenton and among the earliest such schools built in New Jersey. The Trenton School Board built five Greek Revival-style schools in 1856, employing design concepts promoted by contemporary education reformers. As such, the Higbee Street School is distinguished among the state’s few surviving schools for Black children, because of its progressive design. In 1872, the student population outgrew the facility and moved into temporary quarters while the new Bellevue Avenue Colored School was under construction. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1995.
To learn more visit http://shilohcdc.org/save-the-higbee-street-school/.
