Franklin Academy Elementary School – Columbus MS

City:
Columbus, MS

Site Type:
Schools, Education and Health

New Deal Agencies:
Public Works Funding, Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works

Started:
1938

Completed:
1939

Designer:
R. W. Naef

Contractor:
Daniel Construction Company

Quality of Information:
Good

Marked:
Yes

Site Survival:
Extant

Description

The Franklin Academy Elementary School was constructed on the site of the state’s oldest public school, Franklin Academy. PWA project x1306 approved a grant of $117,000 9/26/1938. Construction began 12/1/1938 and was completed 12/1/1939 for a total cost of $260,154. Architect R. W. Naef designed the 2 1/2 story brick Colonial Revival building constructed by Daniel Construction Company. The building featured a “two-story pedimented portico supported on continuious Tuscan columns, rusticated brick quoins, and square central tower with octagonal cupola” (P’Pool, 1979, p. 17). The building remains in use as a school.

Source notes

Mississippi Department of Archives & History. Historic Resources Inventory. Retrieved Nov. 26, 2019 from:
https://www.apps.mdah.ms.gov/Public/rpt.aspx?rpt=publicPropSearch&Name=&StreetNo=&StreetName=&City=Columbus&County=Any

P'Pool, K. (Sept. 5, 1979). Columbus Central Commercial Historic District National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service: United States Department of the Interior.

New school slated on site of state’s first public hall. (Nov. 14, 1938). Clarion-Ledger, p. 6.

Report No. 5 Status of Completed Non-Federal Allotted Projects, Region No. 3 Mississippi. (January 3, 1940). Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works Projects Division, p. 106.

Site originally submitted by Susan Allen on November 26, 2019.

Location Info


501 3rd Avenue North
Columbus, Mississippi 39701
Lowndes County

Coordinates: 33.498592, -88.427731

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