Greenville Park High School, Hammond, LA

Greenville Park High School History

Hammond Colored School was founded in 1906 by Mr. P. Jenkins who served as the school’s first principal. The school was called Hammond Colored School with grades from first to sixth. The school had seven teachers, two rooms, and a three-month school session.

Hammond Colored School had students enrolled in grades one through six from 1906 until 1929. It became a full-fledged elementary school with grades one through eight under the principalship of Mr. Willie Price Sr. with seven teachers and a seven-month school session. In 1936 the school added three grades and students were enrolled in grades one through eleven and the school year was extended to eight months under the principalship of Mr. Billy Purnell and was later renamed Hammond Colored High School.

In 1943 Hammond Colored School became a full-fledged high school with a nine-month school session under the principalship of Mr. Jesse Davis Sr. who in 1954 had the school name changed to Greenville Park High School.

Greenville Park High School under the principalship of Mr. Manley Youngblood for the 1963-1964 school session had an enrollment of 562 students in grades nine through twelve, with twenty-six high school teachers and one principal.

Greenville Park High School was classified as a AAA school offering basic courses required by the Louisiana State Board of Education, Vocational Training in Industrial Arts, Carpentry, Agriculture, Home Economics, Business, and Music. Greenville Park High School competed in the LIALO in athletics and academics.

Greenville Park High School was located at 111 Jackson Road, two blocks south of Thomas Street.

Greenville Park High school’s last high school graduating class was the class of 1969. Greenville Park High School became a Junior High School in 1970.

Source: Jessie W. Davis Jr.