George Fish School
This was the site of Fort Mill’s longest operating school dedicated to African Americans. Built on a 4-acre parcel acquired in 1925, the brick school opened in 1926 and cost $12,200, a portion of which was paid by the Julius Rosenwald Fund. The school was named for George Fish (1868-1933), a white mill manager who supported its construction. African Americans were previously taught at the old Fort Mill Academy building 1 mi. SW.
The design of the George Fish School followed the Rosenwald Fund’s six-teacher floor plan and included six classrooms, an auditorium, stage, and library. By the 1930s, the school enrolled grades 1-8 before adding a ninth grade and, by 1941, a high school. It remained a segregated school for African Americans until 1968, when it integrated and became Fort Mill Jr. High. The school was sold in 1986 and later demolished.
Where it stands. 401 Steele St., Fort Mill, Fort Mill