West Livingston High School History
West Livingston High School, located in Denham Springs, La. was a consolidated school for black students that drew students from Watson, Port Vincent, Walker, Livingston, and Denham Springs to its campus on Rodeo Drive in Denham Springs until integration closed its doors in 1969.
The history of education for Blacks began in 1907 when the Brannon School, a log cabin on Cockerham Road near the present home of Dr. Milton Hughes was opened with Mrs. Martha Clark, Mrs. Neal Burgess, and Mr. Morgan Rudison succeeding each other as teachers.
Around 1914, Roberts Chapel Methodist Church (then located on Main Street at Minton Street) became the school, but in 1918, the classes moved to Mt. Hope Baptist Church on Sullivan Street. In 1920, the Rosenwald School was built on the lot where National Food Store is now located. Mrs. Mary Haynes, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Lloyd Lewis, Miss Mable Scott, Miss Sara Rudison, Mrs. Baham, Miss Orelia Pearl, Mrs. Louise Lockhart, Mrs. Viola Taylor, and Mrs. Goldye Williams Lawson were the early teachers and principals as the school slowly grew.
Sometime in the mid 1940’s, the school moved to Rodeo Street and a number of other teachers were gradually added. West Livingston became a four-year high school during the 1952-1953 school year. Prior to it becoming a high a school, pupils who wished to get a high school education went to Capitol High school or McKinley High School in Baton Rouge.
Arthur L. Perkins Sr.
African American High Schools in Louisiana Before 1970 