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Springfield Terrace School added to the National Register of Historic Places

SAVANNAH (March 25) – The City of Savannah, through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs Historic Preservation Division, nominated the Springfield Terrace School to the National Register of Historic Places last year. This month, the City was notified that the effort to achieve this designation was successful and the Springfield Terrace School was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The National Register of Historic Places is the federal government's official list of historic buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts worthy of preservation. National Register-eligible properties must meet the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, including being old enough to be considered historic, generally at least 50 years old. Additionally, the property must:

• Be associated with events, activities, or developments that were important in the past; or
• Be associated with the lives of people who were important in the past; or
• Be significant in the areas of architectural history, landscape history, or engineering; or
• Have the potential to yield information about our past through archaeological investigation.

Springfield Terrace School, located at 707 Hastings St. in Savannah, was built in 1926. The elementary school, later known as Pearl Lee Smith School and Oglethorpe Charter Academy, historically served the surrounding communities of Springfield Terrace, Water Works, Brickyard, Carver Village, Flatland Village and Collat’s Quarters. It is the only surviving example of the popular one-story public school building type constructed during the early 20th century in Chatham County to educate rural students living on the outskirts of the county's incorporated areas. The school is significant for its association with African American education in Chatham County. It is a good example of the continuing influence of the Rosenwald Fund school program and its standardized school plans in local communities to improve schools for African Americans across the South during the early 20th century.

The restoration and rehabilitation of the Springfield Terrace School is envisioned as a major project for future development of the overall Canal District.Email