State Industrial Home for Colored Girls
| State Industrial Home for Colored Girls | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Opened | 1924 |
| Closed | 1956 |
| Current Status | Demolished |
| Building Style | Cottage Plan |
| Location | Huntington, WV |
| Alternate Names | |
History
The State Industrial School for Colored Girls was built in 1924 on property owned by the WV Colored Children's Home. The facility was the first in the state for African American girls. Previously, delinquent girls of color were sent to the state industrial school at Salem. However, this presented a problem, as at the time, white girls and black girls were required to be housed separately and attend classes at different times. Fannie Cobb Carter, Charleston native, and graduate of Storer College, was the school's first Superintendent. However, Carter refused to accept her appointment until state officials removed the bars from the home’s windows.
In 1956, both the WV Colored Children's Home and the Industrial Home for Colored Girls were officially closed as a result of the groundbreaking Brown v. Board of Education court case, and many of the girls were transferred to other facilities in the state. By 1961, the entire property was sold to Marshall University. The Colored Children's Home was used as married student housing under the University Heights name, and the industrial school was used off and on for housing and other things.
