Thomas D. Clayton School

In 1919, a new era for education in Delaware was initiated when a statewide effort to replace old and outdated facilities was undertaken. In 1922, the new Smyrna Colored School opened its doors for African-Americans and other persons of color residing in Central Delaware. The school was attended by grades one through eight. Funding for the building was provided by the Delaware School Auxiliary Association and through the generosity of Pierre Samuel duPont. In 1946 the building was named to honor Smyrna native Dr. Thomas D. Clayton (1905-1995), an African-American physician who attended local schools and later practiced medicine in Pennsylvania. In 1965, the State Board of Education ordered the desegregation of Delaware schools. Students and faculty members became a part of the state’s integrated public school system. Although renovations have altered its appearance, significant elements of the old school still remain. In February 2006, the building was formally renamed the Thomas D. Clayton Education Facility.