Palmer Memorial Institute

Preparatory school for blacks founded 1902 by Charlotte Hawkins Brown. Named for Alice Freeman Palmer. Closed in 1971. Now state historic site.

Marker is on U.S. 70, on the right when traveling east.

Courtesy hmdb.org

The Origins of Palmer Memorial Institute

In 1846, Christian abolitionists established the American Missionary Association (AMA). After the Civil War, the AMA provided schools for African Americans in the South and founded Bethany Institute here in 1870. Few educational opportunities existed for anyone, especially the poor ...