The Douglass High School building was completed in 1932 and sat on the corner of Alvasia and Clay Streets. (300 S Alvasia) The building served as the high school for all “colored students” in Henderson County. This new school combined the existing “colored schools” in the county. Douglass High School closed in 1965 after a final graduation of 9 students and with a total enrollment of 58 students. The closure was due to the loss of federal funds for separate black and white schools as they were integrated. The principal of the school, H.B. Kirkwood at the time said about the school, “Her demise is due to the changing social order of the day.”
The Douglass High Bisons football team was a powerhouse between 1949 and 1959, and the school also distinguished itself in the fields of track, winning city and regional titles in 1955, and golf, reaching the state finals in 1957.
The school is remembered with a memorial wall and plaque located at the JFK Community Center at 515 South Alvasia Street. The JFK Community Center is near the school’s original site and holds trophies and memorabilia from the demolished high school.
References:
City of Henderson, KY Parks & Recreation
Gleaner, May 22, 2015, Boyett: Douglass High closure brought end to segregation