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Located in southwest Guadalupe County, the Sweet Home Vocational and Agricultural School served the educational needs of Negro students in Guadalupe County from 1924 until 1962. It was built in part with money from the Rosenwald Fund, a philanthropic endeavor developed by Sears, Roebuck Company president Julius Rosenwald, to improve the quality of education for rural citizens through the construction of modern schoolhouses in the early 20th century. Sweet Home was one of six schools built in Guadalupe County under the Rosenwald school program. Master carpenter Henry Singletary and his assistant, Jesse C. Ussery, completed the schoolhouse in 1925. The total cost of construction was $5,500, of which $1,100 came from the Rosenwald Fund. Known as a four-teacher type school, it boasted four primary classrooms, a kitchen and a library. Additional buildings constructed on the property included a girls' dormitory, an industrial building and a house for the teachers, which also served as the home economics classroom. Sweet Home served as a county training school, providing education beyond the eighth grade for students from a three-county area. Its primary focus was on modern industrial and agricultural training. By 1935 Sweet Home was an accredited public high school. Its students won many agricultural, athletic and educational honors before it closed in 1962. The school building, which retains much of its original features and character, continues in use as a center for community activities. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2001 |
