Joseph E. Hill Public School
Item
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Title
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Joseph E. Hill Public School
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Description
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This is a photograph of an entrance to the Joseph E. Hill Public School, located in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA taken by the Germantown Courier Tuesday September 8th, 1950 at 8am. The size of the photo is 2x5 inches.
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The Joseph E. Hill Public School was located at West Rittenhouse and McCallum Streets. As written in the “Acorn Great Oaks Grown Letter” in the BJ&R collection contributed by Temple University Libraries Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection, the Joseph E. Hill School was founded in 1874 as the first colored school in Germantown. It was founded by William Cole (Goode 2007). While African American students could “legally attend any public school after 1881, the majority continued… into the 1930s” (Goode 2007). The school was initially ran by just two educators in community spaces: Miss Ada LeCount and Dr. Anna Cole. Around 1892, the school expanded and moved to East Price Street. Then, they moved to West Rittenhouse which had been a Girl’s School. Hill School was noted to be “more than an institution of learning,” one that educated generations of family members “rooted deep in the hearts of all who passed within her walls.” The letter also cites the names of the school’s principals and many of its teachers. The school was demolished “but a historic marker can be seen inside the parking lot at the site” (Goode 2007).
Joseph E. Hill was “an industrial-arts teacher who helped organize the Institute for Colored Youth” which was the precursor to Cheyney University, where he later taught and was a “beloved instructor” (Corr 1989; Wolfman-Arent 2021). The school made arrangements beginning in 1928 so that he would be celebrated annually in mid-January (The Philadelphia Tribune 1928). He was said to have a “lovable, kindly and gentle disposition," “an expert penman, a fine artist and a good singer,” and the organizer of the Amphion Society of choral singers (The Philadelphia Tribune 1928). Hill was also said to be a “pioneer African American educator” (Goode 2007).
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View the “Acorn Great Oaks Grown Letter” in the BJ&R Collection
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Discover more African American history in the Germantown area
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Contributor
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Temple University Libraries, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection
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Creator
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Unknown
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Rights
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This work is not in copyright, but commercial uses of this digital representation are limited. For more information, contact blockson@temple.edu and see http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-NC/1.0/
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Identifier
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Folder 1 Photograph + From Acorn Great Oaks Grow [Revised 1950] Joseph E. Hill Public School
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Language
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eng
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Format
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Image
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Extent
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1
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Place
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Philadelphia, PA
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Subject
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Photograph
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School house
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Germantown (Philadelphia, Pa.)
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African American students
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Date Created
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1950
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Is Part Of
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The Blockson Collection
