Hockessin School #107C

Also known as the Hockessin Colored School, this building was constructed in 1920 to serve the needs of the community’s African-American students. Funding for construction was provided by the Delaware School Auxiliary Association and its primary supporter, P.S. duPont. Unlike white students, African-American students in the community were not provided with transportation to their school. After unsuccessfully attempting to convince officials to provide this service, Mrs. Sarah Bulah sought the assistance of attorney Louis L. Redding, who filed suit against the State Board of Education in 1951 on behalf of her daughter Shirley. The case was formally known as Bulah v. Gebhart. It was subsequently combined with a similar suit that had been filed on behalf of students in Claymont. On April 1, 1952, Delaware Chancellor Collins J. Seitz issued a decision declaring that the disparity between the white and African-American schools was in violation of the United States Constitution. The ruling was later appealed to the United States Supreme Court, where it was joined with other cases to become Brown v. Board of Education. On May 17, 1954, the court issued its historic decision declaring segregation of schools to be unlawful. Hockessin School #107C was closed in 1959. It was later converted for use as the Hockessin Community Center.