by Holley Owings & Tripp Muldrow
The Earth Design team traveled to the rural community of Pomaria in Newberry County, SC on its initial site visit to The Hope Rosenwald School. Built in 1925-26 at a cost of $2,900, this restored educational institution symbolizes a pivotal era in African-American education, funded partially by the Julius Rosenwald Foundation between 1917 and 1932. Its establishment on a two-acre lot donated by James H. Hope, Mary Hope Hipp, and John J. Hope reflects the communal dedication to education. Ms. Tenetha Hall has worked tirelessly with local alumni to preserve the school. She met the team to give a thorough tour of the restored school that is now used as a community meeting center.
The school has a two-room layout typical of rural Rosenwald schools in rural areas. The loving restoration appropriately embodies the resilience of African-American communities amidst segregation’s challenges.
Today, The Hope Rosenwald School stands as a proud testament to heritage and community unity, providing a space for gatherings, education, and commemoration within rural Newberry County. It is also represented in the Rosenwald School display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
