McDonogh Schools, 1895
John McDonogh holds a long and problematic place in New Orleans history. McDonogh was an enslaver, a promoter of racist ideologies, a real estate developer, and, following his death, a public benefactor. Born in Baltimore, he made his fortune in New Orleans, through real estate, trade, enslaved labor, and the selling of enslaved people. He established the town of McDonoghville in present day Algiers and Gretna, where he owned a large plantation. Following his death in 1850, he divided his fortune between Baltimore and New Orleans to fund public education for children. This influx of funds resulted in the expansion of the New Orleans Public School system through the building of over thirty schools across the City, most of which bear his name. The thirty McDonogh schools that were built in New Orleans at the turn of the century as a result of the McDonogh funds are represented here.
At the end of 1895 there were thirty public schools in New Orleans–three high schools and twenty-seven grammar/primary schools. The public schools then were still being financed through the Board of Commissioners of the McDonogh School Fund, the body designated by the city government to invest John McDonogh’s bequest and manage the proceeds from those investments. The annual report of the Fund for the period 1892-1895, published in 1896, included photographs of all thirty schools along with basic descriptive information for each. All of the images here are taken from this report.
With each image, the following information is included:
- Name of school
- Grammar/ primary vs. high school
- sex and race of admitted students
- location
- brief description of the building, including student capacity
- a note on the year the school was in operation/ building was built.
In some instances, additional notes are added regarding the future use of the building. These descriptors have been added by the archivist.
Grammar and Primary
Girls--White
Laurel between Philip and First
Brick building, two stories, twelve classrooms, capacity--578 pupils
Building in use as a school prior to 1874
Girls--White
Mandeville between North Rampart and St. Claude
Frame building, two stories, twelve classrooms, capacity--767 pupils
Building in use as the Desoto School prior to 1874
Boys--White
Spain between North Rampart and St. Claude
Frame building, two stories with basement, twelve classrooms, capacity--701 pupils
Built in 1874
Boys and girls--White
Alix and Barthelemy (now Bermuda; Algiers)
Frame building, two stories with basement, fourteen classrooms, capacity--1020 pupils
Built in 1875
Boys and girls--Black
Camp and Berlin (now General Pershing)
Brick building, two stories with basement, ten classrooms, capacity--650 pupils
Built in 1876
Now in use as St. George's Episcopal School
Boys and girls--White
Milan and Chestnut
Brick building, two stories with basement, twenty classrooms, capacity--1096 pupils
Built in 1877
Girls--White
Constance and Ninth
Brick building, two stories with basement, twelve classrooms, capacity--521 pupils
Built in 1878
Boys and girls--White
Onzaga and North Rocheblave
Brick building, two stories with basement, twelve classrooms, capacity--698 pupils
Built in 1878
Boys and girls--White
Baronne and First
Brick building, two stories with basement, twelve classrooms, capacity--565 pupils
Built in 1879
Because of the strict segregationist attitudes of the day, it follows that the City opened separate schools for white and black children; however, only four of the thirty schools were for black students. Of those four, only three were in New Orleans proper.
McDonogh No. 5, located on Slidell St. in Algiers, opened in 1882. This is after Algiers had been incorporated into the City of New Orleans in 1870. The school was designed by William Freret and was a one story, cottage style building with a capacity of 356 students. (Researchers interested in the watercolor plans for McDonogh Schools Number 1-19 can view the full collection online.) In 1909, the school was turned into a school for white students. The building no longer stands; it is the current site of the Behrman School gymnasium.
The three other schools for African American students at this time were McDonogh No. 6, McDonogh No. 24 (both Uptown), and McDonogh No. 27 which was located in McDonoghville (present day Gretna).
Grammar and Primary
Boys and girls--Black
Verret between Market (now Opelousas) and Jackson (now Slidell; Algiers)
Frame building, one story, eight classrooms, capacity--356 pupils
Built in 1882
McDonogh No. 13
- Grammar and Primary
- Boys–White
- South Rampart and Girod
- Brick building, two stories with basement, sixteen classrooms
- capacity–687 pupils
- Built in 1883
McDonogh No. 13 was originally opened as a school for white students in 1883. It became McDonogh No. 35 in 1917, the first public high school for black students in New Orleans. The original building was located at 655 South Rampart St. Damage from Hurricane Betsy in 1965 shuttered the building and forced the school to relocate. McDonogh 35 has changed its location several times over the years; its current location is 4000 Cadillac Street.
Girls--White
South Prieur and Palmyra
Brick building, two stories with basement, sixteen classrooms, capacity--647 pupils
Built in 1879
Boys--White
St. Claude between Alvar and Pauline
Brick building, two stories with basement, twelve classrooms, capacity--607 pupils
Built in 1880
Boys and girls--White
Peters (now Jefferson) between Chestnut and Coliseum
Brick building, two stories with basement, fifteen classrooms, capacity--802 pupils
Built in 1884
Girls--White
Barracks between Dauphine and Burgundy
Brick building, two stories with basement, thirteen classrooms, capacity--564 pupils
Formerly used as the Barracks School
Boys and Girls--White
Bourbon between St. Claude and Marais
Frame building, two stories and a basement, sixteen classrooms, capacity--1,008 pupils
Building in use as the Fillmore School prior to 1891
Boys--White
Bienville between North Prieur and North Johnson
Brick building, two stories and a basement, twelve classrooms, capacity--539 pupils
Built in 1885
Girls--White
North Rampart between St. Louis and Toulouse
Brick building, two stories and a basement, twelve classrooms, capacity--542 pupils
Built in 1885
Boys and Girls--White
Tricou and Douglas
Frame building, one story and a basement, six classrooms, capacity--279 pupils
Built in 1884-1885
Boys and Girls--White
Jackson and Freret
Frame building, two stories, twelve classrooms, capacity--597 pupils
In use as the Keller School prior to 1884
McDonogh No. 23
- Grammar and Primary
- Boys and Girls–White
- South Carrollton
- Brick building, two stories, sixteen classrooms
- capacity–669 pupils
The Greek Revival structure designed by Henry Howard was built in 1855. It operated as the courthouse for the City of Carrollton from 1855-1874. Following the annexation of the City of Carrollton in 1874, McDonogh No. 23 opened in 1889 as a co-ed public school for white students. Although McDonogh 23 closed in the 1950s, the location has been home to a number of schools in the years since, including the original site of Ben Franklin high school, Lusher middle school, and Audubon Charter. The building has been vacant since 2013.
Boys--White
Calliope between Prytania and St. Charles
Brick building, two stories, sixteen classrooms, capacity--289 pupils
In use as Southern University prior to 1886
Girls--White
Jackson and Chippewa
Brick building, three stories, seventeen classrooms, capacity--374 pupils
In use as the Jewish Widows and Orphans Home prior to 1887
Boys and Girls--Black
Adams between Commercial and Pearl
Frame building, one story and a basement, twelve classrooms, capacity--539 pupils
Built in 1889
Girls--White
Esplanade and Bourbon
Brick building, two stories, eleven classrooms, capacity--187 pupils
In use as the private residence of New Orleans Public Library benefactor Alvarez Fisk's family prior to 1889
Boys and Girls--White
McDonoghville (Jefferson Parish)
Frame building, one story and basement, six classrooms, capacity--210 pupils
Built in 1890-1891
Boys and Girls--Black
McDonoghville (Jefferson Parish)
Frame building, one story and basement, six classrooms, capacity--210 pupils
Built in 1891-1892
Boys and Girls--White
Esplanade at Grand Route St. John and Mystery
Frame building, one story and basement, eight classrooms, capacity--337 pupils
Built in 1892
![McDonogh No.29 Grammar and Primary Boys and Girls--White Upperline between Chestnut and Coliseum Brick building, two stories and basement, eight classrooms, capacity--475 pupils Built [1894] by the Board of School Directors, parish of Orleans, and named "The McDonogh Memorial School"](https://i0.wp.com/nolacityarchives.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/md29.jpg?fit=1661%2C1775&ssl=1){kind=link}
Boys and Girls--White
Upperline between Chestnut and Coliseum
Brick building, two stories and basement, eight classrooms, capacity--475 pupils
Built [1894] by the Board of School Directors, parish of Orleans, and named "The McDonogh Memorial School"
Boys and Girls--White
Gravier and South Miro
Brick building, two stories and basement, twelve classrooms, capacity--557 pupils
Built in 1894
John McDonogh’s legacy continues to spark controversy through public calls to remove the names of slave-holders from public schools in New Orleans. As of 2021, the Orleans Parish School Board had approved the renaming of more than 20 schools in the city named after slave holders, white supremacists, and segregationists. The operating McDonogh schools were on that list.
The images and some descriptions used in this post previously appeared as part of the Image of the Month in June and August 2004. Reformatted and edited by Brittanny Silva in 2023