Hampton Street School

Front: By 1895, this intersection was the site of the Laurens Colored School, eventually known as Hampton Street School. In that year, Thomas Sanders became principal and taught 60-100 students with his wife, Rachel Sanders. It was housed in a wooden building behind St. Paul Baptist Church and supported by local African American residents. It was rebuilt after a 1912 fire that also burned the church and the Sanders family home. Reverse: Hampton Street School was located in what was once known as the “Possum Hollow” neighborhood. It served grades 1-10 until 1937, when Thomas Sanders High School opened 1.3 mi. SE. Hampton Street School then became an elementary school for grades 1-7. The school closed in 1954 and was replaced by a new Thomas Sanders Elementary School, built near the high school with funds from the S.C. equalization program.