Seven Rosenwald Schools Restored Thanks to Lowe’s

The first seven of 33 Rosenwald Schools to receive grants from the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation are now complete and open to serve their communities. Learn More

History of the Rosenwald Schools

Julius Rosenwald began funding the construction of African-American schools across the rural South in 1917, giving many an education they may not have otherwise received. Learn More

School Plans

This architectural drawing of a three teacher school plan is one of many designs used for Rosenwald schools across the Southern states. Learn More

Rosenwald Schools Initiative

The Rosenwald School Building Program has been called the "most influential philanthropic force that came to the aid of Negroes at that time." It began in 1912 when Booker T. Washington approached Julius Rosenwald, President of Sears, Roebuck and Company, with an idea for a pilot program that was to have a dramatic impact on the face of the rural South. Washington's idea eventually led to the creation of the Julius Rosenwald Foundation. This foundation provided seed grants for the construction of more than 5,300 buildings in 15 states, including schools, shops, and teachers' houses which were built by and for African Americans.

Today many of these Rosenwald school buildings are gone, victims of changing times and communities. To heighten awareness of the threats to these historic resources, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Rosenwald Schools to its list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2002. The National Trust for Historic Preservation then formed the Rosenwald Schools Initiative, calling together a task force to devise a plan for the preservation of Rosenwald schools. Through this initiative, the National Trust has established a national network of Rosenwald School preservation activists, developed educational tools, and provided funding opportunities to aid those interested in saving these important buildings.

History More

The Rosenwald rural school building program was a major effort to improve the quality of public education for African Americans in the early twentieth-century South. Learn more »

School BuildingsMore

Preservation efforts are underway at Rosenwald school buildings across the South and Southwest. These buildings are being saved through a combination of grants, private donations, fundraising, and volunteer work.  Learn More »