Russell School (Colored No. 1) - a segregated city school located on Fourth Street and was opened around 1871. The school was known as the Fourth Street School. The school was a primary school (grades 1 to 8). In August 1888, the city school system completed construction on the larger Fourth Street School, near Transylvania University, on Upper and Fifth Streets.[i] In 1890, Green P. Russell was hired as the school’s principal. Around 1895 the school was renamed Russell School, in honor of its principal. In 1895, the curriculum was expanded to include a high school. The high school was closed in 1922, when the new Dunbar High School opened. In 1954, a new facility, with 16 classrooms, was built to house the school.[ii]
Russell School, 2010 <Ambrose>
[i] Lexington Transcript, November 18, 1882, page 1, column 1, January 8, 1883, page 1, column 2, June 9, 1883, page 4, column 2 and August 10, 1883, page 1, column 1, Lexington Morning Transcript, October 14, 1887, page 1, column 4 and Lexington Leader, August 17, 1888, page 4, column 3.
[ii] Lexington Press Transcript, April 5, 1895, page 4, column 3, A Brief Account of Fayette County’s Elementary Schools, 1969-70 and Fayette County School’s website.
