Cohn High School

Cohn High School. . , Prior to 1949, education for African American children in West Baton Rouge Parish was limited to small schools scattered throughout the parish in collections of publicly and privately owned buildings including classrooms in churches and lodge halls. These facilities provided education up to the 7th and 8th grades, forcing students to leave the parish to pursue high school degrees. At the request of Sam Colwell, overseer on Henry Cohn's Carolina Plantation, Mr. Cohn donated this property on which to build a high school within 5 years to be named for the Cohn family. The school board procured a frame, building from Harding Field and moved it to Port Allen. Cohn Junior-Senior High School opened on August 31, 1949 with 123 students enrolled in grades 8-12. Original faculty were Oliver Baham, Principal; James Gray, Math: Johnny Hayes, Science: Nora Hartson. English: Shirley Baham, Home Economics: and Julia Coffey, Social Science. The school was added to the administration of James Moody, Sr., Standing Supervisor of Schools, who oversaw the schools for black students in the parish. James Gray and his students partitioned the structure into 10 classrooms, a gym, kitchen, restrooms, and showers. (Continued on other side), (Continued from other side) Within two years of Cohn opening, African American student enrollment in the school system reached 99 percent. The school provided the West Baton Rouge African American community a gathering place during the years of segregation. The gym was used for school and community events furthering its significance to all associated with it. As the Civil Rights Movement gained strength, school desegregation was at first optional for Cohn students, who could choose to attend Port Allen High School in a dual educational system. Most students remained at Cohn. In 1969. a final court ruling ordered the school board to dismantle the dual system, close Cohn, integrate the student population, and require all to attend either Port Allen or Brusly High Schools. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 2004, thanks to the efforts of the non-profit group, DOC-DHL, Inc., whose goals included the restoration of the Cohn High School building, providing mentoring for African American students. and an early childhood education center. The renovations proved to be cost prohibitive, and the original building along with two added in the 1950s were demolished in November 2014.