Dorchester Academy and Museum of African-American History
Midway Georgia (GA) Family Vacations, Georgia Tours
The Academy, today an active community center and museum, was founded after the Civil War as a school for freed slaves.
Dorchester Academy and Museum of African-American History is part of a 10-stop Liberty Trail driving tour on the Georgia Coast.
Search for: DorchesterAcademy
8787 E Oglethorpe Hwy.
Midway GA 31320
Phone: 912-884-2347
Web: Visit Site
Description:
The Academy, today an active community center and museum, was founded after the Civil War as a school for freed slaves. By 1917, the fully-accredited high school had eight frame buildings and 300 students. In the 1940s, its academic program ended when a consolidated school for black youth was built in nearby Riceboro.
The brick school building, an example of Georgian Revival style architecture is where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. prepared for the 1963 Birmingham campaign, one of the first major victories of the Civil Rights Movement.
The Dorchester Academy Boys’ Dormitory was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006 because of its association with the Southern Christian Leadership’s Citizen Education Program. The program worked toward attaining equality for blacks in the south by teaching them their rights and helping them acquire the knowledge necessary to become registered voters by passing the required test.
Dorchester Academy and Museum is part of a 10-stop Liberty Trail driving tour that includes: Midway National Historic District, Cay Creek Wetlands, Geechee Kunda Cultural Arts Center, LeConte-Woodmanston Botanical Gardens, Dorchester Academy and Museum, Fort Stewart Museum, Melon Bluff Nature Heritage Preserve, Seabrook Village, Fort Morris State Historic Site, and Sunbury Cemetery. For a complete tour, including driving directions, click here.
Features:
Pavilion with barbecue pit and restrooms.
Days/Hours/Seasons:
Tuesday-Friday: 11am-2pm, Saturday: 2pm-4pm