Historic Harrington School
History
Harrington was the largest of three African-American settlements established on St. Simons during the Reconstruction. The one-room schoolhouse, built in the 1920s to resemble a Rosenwald-style structure, served as the pillar of education for children in first through seventh grades. It wasn't until the 1950s, when Glynn County consolidated the schools, that the students left the Harrington School to attend school in Brunswick or one of the African American boarding schools in the south.
In 2004, Isadora Hunter, who had attended the school in 1928, donated her portion of the property to the St. Simons Land Trust. This important donation led to the Trust's acquisition of the remaining interest in the property, including the Historic Harrington School and the surrounding 12 acres. This complete acquisition was made possible through a joint effort of the Land Trust and Glynn County, using state of Georgia Greenspace funds and contributions from Land Trust members and others across the community. Restoration of the historic schoolhouse was funded by The Friends of Harrington School in partnership with the St. Simons African American Heritage Coalition.
Please support the St. Simons African American Heritage Coalition and Friends of Harrington School in their efforts to preserve the schoolhouse. For more details call 912-634-0330 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Features
Featured on this property is the last remaining African-American schoolhouse on the Georgia coast. Surrounding the school house are 12 acres of woods and two ponds that serve as feeding grounds for endangered wood stork and other aquatic birdlife.