Lincoln School Legacy Project

After the Civil War, Missouri law required school districts to create a school for African American children once 15 or more eligible students lived within the district. By 1874, Kirksville met that threshold, and Lincoln School was officially established.

Classes were first held in temporary locations until 1877, when a double city lot at 907 S. Wabash Street was donated to the Kirksville School District. As the document notes:

“The first school building on this property was built in 1877. It was a white, wooden structure configured in an ‘L shape’…”

This original building served the community for 37 years.

Origins: Establishing a School for Black Children

(1874–1877)

Lincoln School operated during the rise of legally enforced segregation, especially after the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling that established the “separate but equal” doctrine.

Despite national inequities, Kirksville’s Black school benefited from unusually strong local support:

“Fortunately, there were people in this community who saw to it that the school building was safe, well supplied and had qualified and well-paid teachers…”

Enrollment often ranged from 40 to 65 students, and newspapers regularly reported on Lincoln School’s academic achievements, graduations, and community programs.

Education Under Segregation

(Late 1800s – Early 1900s)

By 1913, Kirksville planned a new high school for white students. The School Board insisted that Black students also receive improved facilities, adding $3,500 for a new Lincoln School to the bond issue.

Voters approved the measure in January 1914, and the new brick Lincoln School was completed the same year.

“When completed, the new Lincoln School was a one-story, cross-gabled, red-brick building… with well-polished hardwood floors and a pressed-tin ceiling.”

This is the historic building that still stands today.

A New Era: Construction of the 1914 Brick School we see Today

(1914)

The school became a hub of Black community life in Kirksville. Students participated in:

• Music and arts programs
• Citywide parades and contests
• Health and nutrition initiatives
• Collaborative events with white schools and civic groups

Lincoln School’s students were frequently praised for excellence, discipline, and attendance. One remarkable example:

“They rigged up a bed in the schoolroom… and carried [a sick student] to and from school each day… to maintain the perfect record.”

The school also produced notable alumni, including Doris Akers, who became a nationally recognized gospel singer and songwriter.

Community, Culture, and Academic Life

(1914–1930s)

Although Lincoln School primarily taught grades 1–8, the Kirksville School Board periodically offered high school courses for Black students—rare for small Missouri towns at the time.

By 1939, junior and senior high classes were formally installed. However, enrollment fluctuated, and high school offerings were repeatedly threatened or discontinued. Community advocacy often reversed these decisions, demonstrating the determination of Kirksville’s Black families to secure equal education.

High School Instruction and the Fight for Equal Access

(1930s–1940s)

By the mid‑1940s, Kirksville’s Black population had declined significantly. Lincoln School sometimes had as few as two students, yet the district kept it open.

The turning point came with the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, which declared segregated schools unconstitutional.

Kirksville integrated immediately and peacefully:

“The 8 students from Lincoln School… simply showed up in September 1954 – 1 at Kirksville Junior High, 3 at Willard Elementary, and 4 at Benton Elementary.”

Lincoln School closed in 1954, the same year.

Decline in Enrollment and the Approach of Integration

(1940s–1954)

The building was sold in 1960 and converted into apartments. Despite interior alterations and a small attic fire in 2007, the structure remained intact.

In 2017, Lincoln School was added to the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its importance as one of Missouri’s few surviving segregated Black school buildings.

In 2025, the building went up for sale, prompting local citizens to form the Committee for the Preservation of Lincoln School. Their mission is to restore the building and establish a Black history and education museum.

After Closure: Preservation and Rediscovery

(1954–Present)

Lincoln School is more than a building, it is a testament to:

• The resilience of Kirksville’s Black community
• The pursuit of education under segregation
• The local commitment to fairness even during unequal times
• The importance of preserving Black heritage in rural Missouri

Its survival offers a rare opportunity to honor and interpret a century of history that shaped generations of people in our community and neighboring towns.

Why Lincoln School Matters Today

Now & into the Future