Carver Elementary School Teachers

Carver Elementary School Teachers

This photograph depicts the elementary teachers of Carver School in 1942, along with the school principal. By 1942, Carver was a twelve-year school for black children in the greater Cumberland area. With the coming of integration in the mid to late 1950's, the school would eventually close. In 1961 the Carver School became the first location of Allegany Community College, now Allegany College of Maryland.

Depicted here, from left to right, are Alice Edwards, Lela McIntyre, Principal Earle L. Bracey, Madah Topsin, and Edith Bracey.

Carver High School - A Short History:

It was in the year 1918 that "Cumberland High School' was opened. This was a high school for blacks located on Mechanic Street and was organized as a two-year curriculum, with a four-year course of study initiated the following year. Increasing enrollments resulted in the opening of a new school on Frederick Street in 1922. There was some controversy within the community that such a nice facility would be provided for black students. For this reason, publicity surrounding the new, "Frederick Street School" as it became known, was downplayed for some time. The school name "Carver" came into existence in 1941 due to the desire of Principal Earle Bracey that the school take the name of an important black person. George Washington Carver won out over Frederick Douglas and Booker T. Washington in an election among the students.

Carver served students from Frostburg and numerous West Virginia communities, many of whom were often boarded with local families. As Allegany County schools became integrated in the 1950's Carver school was closed in 1959. However, in 1961, as a location was being sought for the brand new Allegany Community College, the old Carver School was renovated and served as the college's location for the first eight years before the new campus was constructed on Willowbrook Road. The former school mow serves as the Carver Community Center.