George Washington Carver

The George Washington Carver High School is now a museum and cultural center (almost). The school originally opened in 1926 as a segregated school called the Phoenix Union Colored High School. After Carver died in 1943 the name was changed to honor him. The school remained open until Arizona desegregated in 1953 (it closed in 1954).





Before you enter you are greeted by a statue of Carver that was added in 2004. Carver is best known for his innovations in farming. He developed the crop rotation method of planting soil depleting crops one season and soil enriching crops the next. He also developed over 300 uses for peanuts (a soil enriching crop). His ideas helped save the southern farming industry. He also found ways to make dyes from different crops. He gave most of his ideas away instead of profiting from them based on his belief that God was giving him the ideas to pass along.





It's a challenge to visit the museum. The website says that the hours are M-F from 10-3. We called Thursday and there was a message indicating that they were closed for the day. We arrived at 10:15am today and the sign in the door stated they were closed. We took some pictures outside and were on our way back to the car when a man asked if we wanted to see inside. He is onsite to evaluate the ability to install an elevator. He found the curator, Princess, for us and she gave us a private tour. The museum has a lot of potential, but needs a lot of work. Most of the exhibits are not in cases yet and out in the open. The displays include pictures of the students, a history of life in the area (including a kitchen and bedroom area from the 1940s). They have a display of all of the Phoenix area schools that were named for African American leaders.

In the center of the buildings is the Sculpture Garden which has the"That Which Might Have Been Birmingham 1963" sculptures. The four statutes are a memorial to the four girls killed in the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The pant on the walls around the garden is unique as well. It sort of looks smoky as part of an homage to the bombing as well.

There are a few other exhibits inside as well; one for area churches, for a student who was an inventor, for the accolades of the sport teams who played for Carver. It is definitely a work in progress. The gym floor is torn up because it was not in the condition to remain. They will be replacing it and at some point (2010 or beyond) have the facilities open to rent. It seems like it will take a lot of money to have it restored...but will be wonderful to see once it happens.