Town of Jonesborough News Release

Town of Jonesborough News Release

The McKinney Center announces 10 Year Celebration and Commemoration

The McKinney Center and the Town of Jonesborough are pleased to announce a 10 Year Celebration and Commemoration on Monday, February 12 at 1 p.m. at the McKinney Center, located 103 Franklin Ave. The McKinney Center will celebrate the history of the building by commemorating the Booker T. Washington School faculty and staff with a bench dedication. The public is invited to attend. This event will have a dedication for alumni to share stories and will conclude with light refreshments including cookies from Side Hustle Bakery and coffee donated from The Corner Cup.

The McKinney Center was originally the Booker T. Washington School. It was completed in 1939 and was the first Works Progress Administration (WPA) building built in Washington County. The school opened its doors for African American school-age children from grades 1 – 8 in 1940 and served in this capacity until integration in 1965. This building was the primary education facility for hundreds of African American students in the community. The faculty and principles that served left an educational legacy that continues today. Beginning in 2010 the town purchased the building and restored it into a facility that would bring people together through the arts. Renovations began and lasted for several years. In November 2013, the building officially opened as the McKinney Center at Booker T. Washington School. Last year, in 2023, marked the 10th Anniversary of the McKinney Center in its current form.

The McKinney Center’s Diversity & Equity Sub-Committee has worked to research the names of faculty and staff of the Booker T. Washington School to create a plaque to partner with a bench to place on the McKinney Center property. The research was done through oral history accounts from alumni of the school and records from the Washington County School Department. Special thanks to the Jonesborough Genealogical Society in helping with research of families.

The McKinney Center extends a special invitation to the families of those who worked at Booker T. Washington school between the years of 1940 and 1965; Hattie Birdwell, Ethel Brown, Mr. L.H. Buford, John Cox, Hugh Dean, Bessie Dickson, Savannah Dickson, Gladys Hale, Richard Hampton, Ms. Hankal, Lester Howard, George Johnson, Connie Kizer, Katherine Matthews, Ernest L. McKinney, Willie McNeil, Mildred Patton, Starlin Perry, Henry Greenlee, M.E. Richardson, Dorothy Rhea, James Rollins, Mr. Henry Scott, Mrs. Gertrude Shanks, Ella Sherrill, John Stewart, Robert Stewart, Virginia Sylvers, Ada “Sis” Woodson, and Oscar Wilson.

Family members who wish to share stories and memories of Booker T. Washington School can call 423.753.5062 or email Skye McFarland at skyem@jonesboroughtn.org.

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About the McKinney Center at Booker T. Washington: The mission of the McKinney Center at Booker T. Washington is to provide a comprehensive program through Jonesborough’s Mary B. Martin Program for the Arts which teaches various art skills to all participants through a quality program of instruction open to all segments of Jonesborough’s population. In addition, a primary mission of the Center is to enhance minority participation in the planning and implementation in all activities in Jonesborough while specifically celebrating the contribution of the African-American community in the growth and development of the Town. The activities of the McKinney Center are designed to enhance the quality of life of all Jonesborough residents.

About the Town of Jonesborough: A unique 18th century town nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of Northeast Tennessee, Jonesborough’s natural beauty, charming architecture, and storytelling heritage have attracted visitors worldwide. Stay a day, a week or forever, and create your own stories in beautiful Historic Jonesborough. Visit www.jonesborough.com for more information.