EASLEY – The old Clearview-Simpson school may be gone, but alumni of the school say the heritage won’t be forgotten — not on their watch.
Enter the Clearview Simpson Heritage Foundation, and their $200,000 plan to honor the school’s history and legacy with a Memory Park.
The park’s location is a 2.3 acre site adjacent to The Dream Center on West D Street in Easley, which the foundation purchased from School District of Pickens County (SDPC) in 2015.
“It was the old football field,” said Lavon Moore, executive director of the Foundation since 2017.
The group’s mission is to promote an understanding and appreciation of the diverse cultures of the Upstate through the preservation of shared histories, she said.
The park is designed to do just that.
According to A Brief History of Easley by R. Chad Stewart, The Easley Colored School was founded in 1900 with 107 students in a one-room school house.
There was one teacher.
In 1927, during the tenure of principal John T. Simpson, the school expanded to five rooms and hired four more teachers and by the 40s, it had grown to include several buildings and was renamed in honor of Simpson.
Simpson School, as it was known at the time, was the only segregation-era African American school in Pickens County to receive official accreditation.
A modern building was built in 1949-50 — this one with indoor restrooms.
In 1955, students from The Liberty Colored School were consolidated in and the school was re-named Clearview Colored High School until segregation was ended in 1969 and students were sent to Easley High School.
According to records, the SDPC used the old Clearview-Simpson building to house Simpson Academy, an alternative education program for many years. The site now houses The Dream Center.
James Breazeale of the Foundation said the Memory Park was essential to preserve the history of not just the school itself, but its students.
“This is a legacy,” he said.
And as far as fundraising goes, the Foundation is off to a pretty good start: Architect Isaiah Dunlap of DesignEdge, LLC in Greenville designed the park for the foundation free of charge and Greenville SERVPRO owner Johnny Lee kick-started the park with a $5,000 donation.
“Your act of faith has ignited other ‘angels’ like you to offer support in making our park a reality,” said Moore. “The memory park will serve as a source of pride in remembering alumni members from Simpson and Clearview High Schools who have gained their wings. It will additionally serve as a learning tool for visitors to see our heritage and memories depicted on the various walls. To God be the glory!”
