Preserving History: Volunteers Work To Revitalize Stillwater’s Washington School

Saturday’s community project in Stillwater seemed simple enough, as Dr. Clyde Wilson checked people in and assigned them jobs like picking up track and knocking down brick walls.

“The students are buzzing, the community is buzzing around the Washington School,” said Dr. Wilson, Oklahoma State University’s Associate Vice President for Access and Community Impact.

The jobs themselves might be simple, but the more than 70 volunteers are working to uncover the complicated story of the Washington School.

“I knew it was a school, but it wasn’t until fairly recently that I understood that it was a Black school,” said volunteer Mike Staubus.

The building on 12th Avenue hasn’t been a school since integration began in 1956. For decades, the Black community in Stillwater fought to preserve it, but it wasn’t until two years ago that the city was able to buy it back from private owners with money from an anonymous donor.

“It’s kind of a forgotten history, but we’re trying to educate people and bring it to life,” said Sara Ra, an Assistant Professor of Architecture at OSU.

The original structure was built in 1938 as the first high school for Black students in Stillwater. To bring it back to what it looked like then, Ra said the walls and wings added in the 1970s need to come down.

Birdie Neal watched as volunteers took a hammer to the bricks in the walkway and wished her mom, Willie Pradia, could have seen this.

“She would be glad that they’re keeping the legacy going,” said Neal. “Because they fought a long time to try to preserve it those that attended here.”

Some still fight, like 83-year-old volunteer Charles McGlory. He was a sophomore when he was told to leave his school building and teachers behind during integration.

“The school itself is a reminder of the days when we had a hardship, but we persevered,” he said.

Preserving the school is an acknowledgement of a difficult chapter in history, but for Charles, it’s also a reminder of his childhood as he points out the area that used to be the playground, and where he would have band practice.

“It warms my heart to see that, even when I’m gone, there’s still memories for my grandkids and my kids and so that gives me pleasure,” said McGlory.

He sees it simply. All this work means his memories are worth saving.

“And that brings joy to me,” he said.

The Washington Heritage Foundation is already planning another cleanup day to continue to remove the bricks from the walkaway. The organization also hired an architectural firm for the project and plans to have a fundraiser in April.

Related Stories:

1. Forgotten High School Basketball Champs In Stillwater Get To Celebrate 68 Years Later
2. Preserving Stillwater's Forgotten All-Black School Building