Its a heart thing: Proposed demolition of former Carver High School saddens many in community – Herald-Banner

The historical significance of the building that currently serves as LP Waters Early Childhood Center but was formerly Carver High School, Greenvilles all-Black high school during segregationwas discussed at length at a visioning meeting held by Greenville ISD on Tuesday.

The school district is using these meetings to elicit community input on facility planning.

Citing problems with the 72-year-old buildings foundation and several other issues, such as small classroom sizes and noncompliance with current Americans with Disabilities Act standards, the proposed plan presented by the district involves demolition of the building after a new early childhood center is constructed adjacent to it.

In response to the proposed project, multiple members of the Greenville community urged the district to preserve at least part of the building as a tribute to Carver High Schools historical significance in the cultural identity of Greenvilles African-American community.

Carver is historical for us. There should be something that could be done, said one of the attendees. A lot of people especially dont want to see the gym taken away."

If we take Carver away, then we have nothing left as a reminder of our communitys history, she added.

Sympathetic to what was being said, Greenville ISD School Board member Anne Haynes vouched for Carver High Schools place in Greenvilles social and cultural history.

One thing we have to remember is that Carver was part of the cultural identity of Greenville as a wholenot just the black community, Haynes said. The football games used to not just draw Blacks, but Whites and Hispanics came too. It really brought the community together. It became a place for everyone.

A few others in attendance also brought up how a lot of the records, memorabilia and other remnants of Greenvilles former all-Black schools were lost after integration, and they didnt want to lose the former Carver High School as well.

Back in 1969-70 (after Carver High School closed in 1967), the question came up in the district to tear it down, recollected another attendee. For progress, sometimes its good to tear things down, but for a segment of the community its a heart thing, because after integration, all the medals, trophies and other parts of that history went away, and we want to have something left.

In response to the concerns, GISD Supt. Sharon Boothe reassured the audience that the point of the discussion [was] to discuss options, and that that is one of the reasons why the school board has not called another bond election yet.

In connection with the history of the school, two Carver High School alumniDemetrous Nixon and Brenda Hueyhave spent almost a decade compiling information and writing a book about the history of the school, titled From Roots to Remembrance: The History of Carver High School.

We were really close to being finished with it, but COVID stopped us in our tracks, Nixon told the Herald-Banner. Well be working on getting it published soon."

"I was part of the last graduating class at Carver, and we started this after we realized that it was almost impossible to find anything about Carver High School on the internet. It was as if the school never existed," Nixon explained. "So, Brenda Huey and I have been spending all this time seeking out records, photos and other information, making sure that what we have is accurate, and writing the book to make sure that this history isn't lost."

Please Note: A story detailing Greenville ISD's updated proposed replacements for LP Waters and Greenville Middle School will appear in Saturday's issue of the Herald-Banner.

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Its a heart thing: Proposed demolition of former Carver High School saddens many in community - Herald-Banner