Lemon Street Elementary Awarded Plaque for Historical Significance

MARIETTA — The former Lemon Street Elementary School in Marietta was awarded a plaque Saturday by the National Register of Historic Places for its lasting impact on African American students in the city.

Former Lemon Street students attended a ceremony at the school where Marietta Superintendent Grant Rivera unveiled a replica of the plaque that will soon be displayed in front of the building.

“This place is special,” Rivera told attendees. “This place stands today to honor your legacy, to tell your story so it is never forgotten.”

Lemon Street Elementary played an essential role in Marietta’s African American community as the primary school for Black students during segregation. It officially closed its doors in 1971.

Over the last 40 years, it has served various purposes, including as a junior high, a community center, a small public library and eventually a storage facility.

Rivera said multiple developers attempted to purchase the school from the district in his first months as superintendent. Despite being told by numerous architects that the building should be demolished, Rivera, the school board and former students united to keep Lemon Street Elementary in its place.

In 2020, the Marietta City Schools Board of Education voted 7-0 to begin a $5.3 million rehabilitation project aimed at restoring the property to its original purpose as an educational facility.

In February 2021, the building reopened as the Woods-Wilkins Campus, and is now home to Marietta High School’s three nontraditional academic programs. Today, the campus serves nearly 200 students and continues to honor the legacy of education on Lemon Street.

The school was officially granted a historical plaque by the National Register of Historic Places in September after a lengthy application process. The process was completed in partnership with Kennesaw State University Public History Program, under the guidance of KSU’s Associate Professor Dr. Jennifer Dickey.

Its newest award places the school on the register’s official list of historic places worthy of preservation.

Board members of the Marietta Board of Education, Cobb Chairwoman Lisa Cupid and other public officials were also in attendance.

“It’s humbling to hear the history, but heartwarming to know that people still recognize the significance of preserving it,” Cupid said.

Lemon Street alumna Flecca Wilson Taylor, who spoke during the ceremony, said this journey proved that teamwork makes the dream work.

“We all came together and focused on one goal, one common goal: preserve this building and the history it represents,” Wilson Taylor said. “We did exactly what those teachers ... who used to teach in these rooms (taught us).”

Marietta school board member Angela Orange said this new plaque will honor the school’s past and inspire its future.

“It means a lot to me because I think it shows what our values are,” Orange said. “We value this community, we value this school, we value its history and we value the education that it’s offering students now.”