As the City continues its work to restore Springfield Terrace School, the National Park Service (NPS) has awarded a $50,000 grant in support of the project, as part of the Historic Preservation Fund’s African American Civil Rights grant program. 

The grant will fund the Springfield Terrace School Rehabilitation Project, which aims to begin planning for the restoration of the school building in the Carver Village neighborhood with a focus on its preservation. 

The project will include structural assessments, preparation of a rehabilitation plan and construction documents, as well as plans for community archiving and engagement.  

The building was completed in 1926 to provide education and resources to African American youth in Chatham County. At that time, African Americans were excluded from most buildings and resources of the public education system. Springfield Terrace School was renamed in 1958 in honor of Pearl Lee Smith and used to house Oglethorpe Charter School from 1999 to 2012. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022. 

The school has served as a long-term community asset and this project will jumpstart efforts to restore it to an active space for the community.   

For more information, please contact the Municipal Archives at (912) 651-6412 or by email.