Geospatial Database
The nearly 5,000 schools built in the Rosenwald School Program were connected by Booker T. Washington’s vision, Julius Rosenwald’s philanthropy and commitment, and the unwavering support of the Black communities. Support for Rosenwald Schools continues today through preservation, restoration, and interpretation.
In July 2025, the Campaign started work on an interactive database and map of schools that still exist. The platform will include location information on each school, relevant historical and current data, photographs, and links to other websites. State historic preservation officials are providing important information on schools that remain.
Scheduled for completion in the summer of 2026, the map and database will be publicly available and include information on over 600 existing Rosenwald Schools and on support groups for Rosenwald Schools that are no longer standing. The completed map and database will allow users to discover Rosenwald Schools across the southern states and plan trips to the schools. It will be a valuable reference tool and help connect people to this important chapter of American history and see the far-reaching impact of the Rosenwald School Program.
The Campaign will also use the map and database to support the development of an informal network of extant Rosenwald Schools over the next three years, enabling significant collaboration opportunities and promoting even greater advocacy for establishing the park on both a local and national level.
The Campaign is providing photos and other materials for the database. We are grateful to committed Campaign supporters Elizabeth Margosches and Don Melman, who contributed photos they took of the Durham’s Chapel and Cairo Rosenwald Schools during a recent trip to Tennessee. If you have photos of Rosenwald Schools that you’d like to contribute to the database, please email them with relevant information to info@rosenwaldpark.org.