Oklahoma, Chickasha, Verden Separate School
The school that became known as the Verden Separate School was built on land owned by Allen Toles, an African American farmer, in 1910. Toles was one of few blacks who acquired land through the Homestead Act. When the school was built segregation in education was the norm, hence the name "Separate School." Most black youth, whose parents worked for white farmers in the area, were expected to work during periods of planting and harvesting, thus the school year for black students was shorter. The school served black students of the Verden area until 1935 when it was consolidated with another black school in Chickasha. After closing, the building was used for storage and other agriculture purposes for nearly 70 years until it was slated to be razed. In 2004, the building was moved to Chickasha and restored. It is the only remaining one-room schoolhouse in Oklahoma that was built by blacks. The building is a center piece of the Loretta Y Jackson African American Historical Society and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Oklahoma, Chickasha, Verden Separate School
The school that became known as the Verden Separate School was built on land owned by Allen Toles, an African American farmer, in 1910. Toles was one of few blacks who acquired land through the Homestead Act. When the school was built segregation in education was the norm, hence the name "Separate School." Most black youth, whose parents worked for white farmers in the area, were expected to work during periods of planting and harvesting, thus the school year for black students was shorter. The school served black students of the Verden area until 1935 when it was consolidated with another black school in Chickasha. After closing, the building was used for storage and other agriculture purposes for nearly 70 years until it was slated to be razed. In 2004, the building was moved to Chickasha and restored. It is the only remaining one-room schoolhouse in Oklahoma that was built by blacks. The building is a center piece of the Loretta Y Jackson African American Historical Society and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.