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Lincoln Normal School’s Phillips Memorial Auditorium at Marion, AL

Black Heritage, Historic Schools | Marion in Perry County  

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The Lincoln Normal School was a historic African American school in Marion, Alabama. Lincoln Normal was founded in 1867 by freed slaves as a school for African-American children.

In 1870, the school expanded to include teacher training and for a time became known as the Lincoln Normal University for Teachers. The program primarily focused on training African American high school graduates to become teachers.  In 1887 fire destroyed many of the campus buildings. As a result, the teacher training function was relocated to Montgomery where it became Alabama State University.

The school closed in 1970, when it was consolidated with the newly built and racially-integrated Marion High School. One of the few buildings remaining on the campus site is the Phillips Memorial Auditorium, now on the National Register of Historic Places and the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.  The Phillips Memorial Auditorium is located at Lincoln and Lee Streets in Marion (Phillips Memorial Auditorium – Google Maps)

Notable alumni of the Lincoln Normal School include Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King, Jr, and Jean Childs, wife of civil rights activist Andrew Young.

Source: Wikipedia

Tags: alabama, black belt, black heritage, coretta scott king, marion, perry county, school

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About This Website

Welcome to rural southwest Alabama. This website is dedicated to twelve counties located in rural southwest Alabama which includes a large portion of Alabama’s Black Belt area. This region is known for its rich and diverse heritage, historic homes and churches, and natural beauty. This website contains details about historic and interesting places that you will find in this area of Alabama.

PLEASE NOTE THAT MOST OF THE HOMES INCLUDED ARE PRIVATE RESIDENCES AND, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ARE DRIVE BY ONLY.

We hope that you enjoy this website.

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Dedicated to the memory of Stacy Milstead Henson (1978-2008) & Inez “Sis” Watts (1924-2007).

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