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A Self-Reliant People
Greater Deanwood Heritage Trail
11 Shaping Strong Minds
In 1907, when Greater Deanwood's African American children needed a school close to home, city officials decided to place a public elementary here. Snowden Ashford (1866-1927), the District's inspector of buildings, designed the original four-room schoolhouse in the Renaissance style. Distinguished educator Francis L. Cardozo, Jr., served as principal and oversaw the addition of four rooms, two annexes, a gym, a kindergarten, and a night school.
Deanwood Elementary also attracted children from nearby Maryland suburbs. With some teachers living nearby, all students received lessons well beyond the traditional reading, writing, and arithmetic. They developed a pride in their country, community, and race. During World War II (1941-1945) students purchased war bonds and a Jeep to support the troops. Deanwood Elementary was renamed George Washington Carver to honor the black botanist and educator (1864-1943) shortly after his death. In 1968, during the disturbances that followed the assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Carver parents safely smuggled white teachers in the trunks of their cars to teachers' homes across town.
The larger Deanwood community also shaped the young. James "Sleepy" Harrison, who played basketball for the local recreation center team, later coached and mentored other athletes. Dave Bing played for Harrison, and went on to star at Spingarn High School and play for the Detroit Pistons, Washington Bullets, and Boston Celtics.
Several years after a 1961 fire, Carver School's oldest section was razed and replaced. The school closed in 1988, reopening 11 years later as the IDEA Public Charter School. |