The beloved school for Stuart’s black community has long been of interest to me. When my oldest child started elementary school in 1970, she attended Parker Annex in the former Stuart Training School. The Principal of the Annex was Felix Williams, a community leader, who previously taught at the Stuart Training School.

Although the accepted histories of Stuart Training School had inconsistency I had never taken time to do my own in-depth research but since I had the negatives of photographs taken by Arthur Ruhnke and Earl Dyer Ricou, I continually share important images of students, teachers and activities with anyone with an interest.

Now, because of Georgen Charnes and Martin Digital History, I am, as they say, in a Stuart Training School “rabbit hole.” I knew about Julius Rosenwald, of Sears and Roebuck, who gave generously to build schools for blacks but I thought some of my history-buff colleagues were grasping at straws when they wanted to connect the famous philanthropist to local schools. I was wrong.

By reading the School Board Minutes, it is possible to ascertain Robert Murray was teaching school in Jensen before 1925, when Martin County was created. His brother, Charles, a teacher who was also an undertaker, was hired to be teacher/principal in Stuart’s Rosenwald School called the “Martin County Training School.” It was soon to be called the Stuart Training School and this continued to be the name of the WPA Bert Keck- designed school built between 1935 and 1937.

Eventually, Charles Murray’s brother, Robert, became principal of Stuart Training School. Charles and Robert’s sister Ilma James was also a teacher a Stuart Training School, as well as Robert’s second wife Jamima Osborn Murray.

Stuart Training School was phased out in 1965 after the Carver Gardens School was built in Port Salerno. Eventually, Carver Gardens grew into the Murray Junior-Senior High School named for the Murray Family of educators.  As full integration evolved, It became Murray Ninth Grade and is now Murray Middle School.

The former Stuart Training School is now occupied by the Spectrum Academy.  

THE NEXT BLOG WILL BE ABOUT JULIUS ROSENWALD.