West Broad Street School Exhibition to Open


A graduating class of West Broad Street School, circa 1940’s. Courtesy of Claretha Gardner Morse
A graduating class of West Broad Street School, circa 1940’s. Courtesy of Claretha Gardner Morse

A fter more than ten years of research, the Ships of the Sea Museum is very pleased to announce the opening of its exhibition “A Thirst For Learning ”, a history of the eighty-nine years that the Scarbrough House spent as West Broad Street School, one of the first city-supported schools for black students in Savannah.

Utilizing the resources of the Georgia Historical Society, Historic Savannah Foundation, The Savannah Tribune, The Savannah Morning News, the archives at Savannah State University, the Live Oak Public Library system and numerous local historians, the exhibition will present in text, vintage photographs and video interviews the rich history of educational and social services which West Broad Street School provided to so many of Savannah’s children for so many years. The exhibition will open on Saturday, July 23 at 1 pm with a program of free activities, starting with a short concert of jazz standards featuring popular vocalist Claire Frazier and pianist Frank Bright, followed by refreshments and free Museum admission until 5pm.

In order to make it easier for members of the community to view the exhibit, Ships of the Sea will offer Chatham County residents free admission upon request from 1pm to 4:15pm every Sunday from July 24 through October 30 when the exhibit will close.

An expanded text of the exhibition, including video interviews of graduates will be posted to our website in the fall… www.shipsofthesea.org

For questions on the exhibition please contact Richard Saunders at 912 443- 1407 or richard.benfrank@gmail.com


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.