Southside School

36.008028, -78.932086

2020
Erwin Road
Durham
NC
Cross Street
Atlas Street
Year built
1921
Year demolished
1984-1988
Architects/Designers
Linthicum and Rose / Linthicum and Linthicum
Linthicum, H. Colvin
Construction type
Masonry
Brick
Neighborhood
Old West Durham
Use
School
Building Type
School
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Southside School, undated (William Franklin Warren Collection, Durham County LIbrary)


Southside School was built in 1921, replacing an earlier "West Durham School" that had been located at Swift Ave. and Thaxton Sts.


Plan of Southside School
(Courtesy Old West Durham)

I don't have much information about what the school was like, students' experience, etc. - I'd love to have that sort of information filled in. Below, students and teachers at Southside ~1940 from the H. Lee Waters film of Durham. The movie starts off at the front, then looks west across Atlas St., then looks north from the back of the school at kids playing on the playground.



Beginning in 1941, Southside acted as a city-wide nursery school for white children run by the WPA in order to allow parents a greater opportunity to seek work. Nursery schools for African-American children were set up at White Rock Baptist and St. Mark's. The school continued to provide programs for childcare before and after school hours during World War II


Southside School, looking northeast from Atlas St. and Erwin Road, 1950s
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)



Aerial showing Southside School and surrounding area, 1959.
(Courtesy Durham County Library / North Carolina Collection)


A tiny color shot of the Southside School, likely 1960s.
(Courtesy Old West Durham)

In the late 1960s, Southside was involved in a five-year pilot program to provide schooling and care to 'disadvantaged children' using "experimental teaching methods." This appears to have been discontinued by 1970.

I'm not sure when classes were discontinued at Southside. The school was likely torn down in the early to mid-80s, when the right-of-way was cleared for the Durham Freeway. There is a vestigial corner left here, with Atlas St. serving as an entry into a Duke parking lot. A piece of the original walkway to the school still exists in the grassy area between Erwin and the freeway.


Looking northeast at the site of Southside School, 04.04.09 (G. Kueber)
 

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Comments

Submitted by Child of the M… (not verified) on Thu, 5/7/2009 - 10:40pm

I went to Southside School from 1958 - 1964 ( 1st - 7th grade ) As did my father in the 30's and 40's, also 1st - 6 grade. I have some of the two of the Southside yearbooks with all classrooms, teachers and students pictures. I was very glad to see the video with the children playing volleyball on the lower playground. The older children played on the upper playgrounds.My aunt lived beside the school. All of my family lived around the school, as they all worked in the mill. I have much to tell you...but this is not the venue.
Child of the Mill Village -

Submitted by Batman (not verified) on Mon, 5/11/2009 - 11:06pm

I am pretty sure that the teacher in the fur collar at 1:18 and 2:48 is Mrs. Virginia Hicks Beard who lived in her family's 1860 farmhouse still standing on Mineral Springs Road. She graduated with the first graduating class of Duke University (1926)and was a lifelong Duke fan. She spoke fondly of her students at Southside.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 6/9/2009 - 5:56pm

The school was still standing when I was in grad school at Duke from 1981-84. At the time the freeway ended at Sam's Quik Shop so you're probably right that the school came down when they began work extending the freeway west.

Submitted by Carol (not verified) on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 5:32pm

My sister and I were children who went to Southside during the WPA era.  I was very young and was in a pre-school class so my memories are faded.  I later remember going there for photos for the Durham newspaper, I had won a city wide art contest (I was in the first grade at Fuller School).

Submitted by Ronnie Ferrell (not verified) on Tue, 6/25/2013 - 12:09pm

I attended Southside School from 1947 thru 1953 (1st thru 6th Grades). We lived at 605 Hicks Street. My Mother worked at Erwin/Burlington Mills and my Father worked at Liggett & Myers. I spent my childhood at Erwin Auditorium and old Erwin Field (corner of Main and Broad Streets). A lot of Saturday mornings at the Rialto Theater. The principal was Mr. Baucom and teachers were:
1st Grade:Ms. Lavene ; 2nd Grade:Mrs. Cates ; 5th Grade: Ms. McCohn ; 6th Grade : Ms. EVA NEAL. I was a member of the Gray-Y at Southside (Ed Hammersla was the Instructor). I remember May Day being a hugh deal and they had a lot of events on Saturdays at the school. I absolutely LOVED MY DAYS AT SOUTHSIDE! I still have friends from those days..would love to hear from others. Graduated to E.K. Powe Jr High

Submitted by Debbie Pope Robinson (not verified) on Mon, 11/11/2013 - 8:23pm

I attend Southside 1-4 grade Mrs. Scarbors was my first grade teacher, Mr.s Douglas my third, Mrs. Lowe my fourth. Can't remember 2nd--must have been a bad year!!! My class was the last before we were transferred to E. K. Powe (this was about 1965-66)

Submitted by Reidette Hampton (not verified) on Sat, 5/31/2014 - 2:05am

My sister Donna and I attended Southside. I remember so many things about my time there. I think my first grade teacher was Miss Slaunwhite in 1958. The other teachers I remember we're Mrs Douglas, Mrs Hardymoon, and Mrs King. My favorite was Mrs King. I had a friend from Isreal in my class. Her name is Channah Shuemeli. Not sure of the spelling. Her father was a professor at Duke University at that time. Mrs King asked me and Channah to visit her and we had so much fun!
I remember a lady that worked in the cafeteria - Mrs Coltrane and she had a son in our class named John. I loved the peanut butter cake she served at lunch.
I remember playing kick ball and tetherball and jumping rope at recess.
I loved Southside Elementary School!!

Submitted by Reidette Hampton (not verified) on Sat, 5/31/2014 - 2:07am

My sister Donna and I attended Southside. I remember so many things about my time there. I think my first grade teacher was Miss Slaunwhite in 1958. The other teachers I remember we're Mrs Douglas, Mrs Hardymoon, and Mrs King. My favorite was Mrs King. I had a friend from Isreal in my class. Her name is Channah Shuemeli. Not sure of the spelling. Her father was a professor at Duke University at that time. Mrs King asked me and Channah to visit her and we had so much fun!
I remember a lady that worked in the cafeteria - Mrs Coltrane and she had a son in our class named John. I loved the peanut butter cake she served at lunch.
I remember playing kick ball and tetherball and jumping rope at recess.
I loved Southside Elementary School!!

Submitted by mercedes pandi… (not verified) on Sun, 6/1/2014 - 9:43am

I was in your class Debbie Pope at Southside School. I went to your house after school with my two best
Friends Sharon Bucahan and Betty Moores( last name spelling may be wrong). Your Mom made us brownies and you lived across from Irwin Aud. My family moved to Richmon Va after 4th grade. I had all
The same teachers as you and also dont remember the name of the second grade teacher, but remember
where the classroom was located. I have wonderful memories of Southside School and Durham. I visit at
least every 2 years and ride by the Southside School area. There really is very little left but just wonderful
memories of friendly and kind people. I was also in girl scouts with Sandra Danford, her Mom was our troop leader.

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