| City/Town: • Lima |
| Location Class: • School |
| Built: • 1921 | Abandoned: • Late 1980's |
| Historic Designation: • National Register of Historic Places (1984) • African American Heritage Site |
| Status: • Abandoned |
| Photojournalist: • Jennifer Burton • Leslie Flaming |
The town of Lima, Oklahoma is one of just thirteen historically all-Black towns existing in the state. Named after the local limestone quarries it was incorporated in 1913. Constructed in 1921 by Weathers and Company Architects and Builder J. Smith was the Rosenwald Hall Elementary School. During the early 1900s, educational opportunities for African American schoolchildren were stifled by racism, a shortage of money, and inadequate facilities. Around 1915, Black schools throughout the south received much needed financial assistance from the Julius Rosenwald Fund.
Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932), was a prominent businessman and philanthropist with a net worth of $80 million back then. In 1917 he established the Julius Rosenwald Fund to which he used to donate millions of dollars to fund African American schools throughout the south. In total, the Julius Rosenwald Fund donated $4 million in matching funds to aid in the construction of nearly 5,000 schools that would be known as the Rosenwald Schools. The Rosenwald school building program ended in Oklahoma and nationally in 1932. Of the Rosenwald Schools constructed in all-Black towns in Oklahoma, this is the only one remaining.
Rosenwald Hall is a rectangular red-brick building with white clapboard sections. The brick building served as the elementary school, educating students through the eighth grade. It was an active school until 1966 when schools were desegregating and consolidating causing many rural schools to close. But the small town repurposed the facility as a daycare center until 1985 and after that as the town hall. It has been listed on the Preserve Oklahomas endangered list multiple times. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as of August 23, 1984.
Article by AOK Photojournalists Emily Cowan and Jennifer Burton.
Gallery Below of Rosenwald Hall
https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=LI003&l=
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Rosenwald#Philanthropy
http://nr2_shpo.okstate.edu/QueryResult.aspx?id=84003427
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They now built New Lima. I’ve always wanted to go into the original one! I used to attend New Lima about 3 years ago. I was there my whole school life. From Kindergarten until two weeks of my freshman year.
Does anyone know who owns this place? I am looking to open a school and would love to bring this place back to life.
Education is not about the biggest thing and to do biggest things in our life. But it is all about to learn the small things in our life and to seek lessons from our small learning. As the beauty of life is in small things.
does anyone know about rosenwald schools in and around Boynton, Oklahoma?
Does anyone have Pics of the Old Lima School Before the fire? if so can you send them to gravehunter_1973@yahoo.com 🙂
Thanks Timmy Gibbs
Great Pictures…..would love to explore this old site…..
Im a local Photographer and Love to Photograph old , abandonded buildings as well… How are you guys able to photograph so many places.. Thanks so much!! osufangirl@yahoo.com
need to see photos of main building building #1
Why do they not just restore it or tear it down? I would rather see it restored but it seems that no one is stepping up to the plate. There are so many places like this all over the country and I don't understand why they are just left.
My friends and I tried to visit…no luck. The entire place is fenced for cattle to roam. Wish we could have taken more photographs.
You can go now, the fence should be down
A good job on the photos.I love the color contrast of the red brick and deep blue sky….it's a shame such an old historic and stout building has been left to sit and go to ruins!! Take care—Tery
Beautiful! Love the Compuer in the firt picture,
glad you like the pictures!
Man, I really enjoy this site. You guys prowl some facinating places.
Keep it up, please!