Historical Significance of this site at 2627 Avenue M

Central High School is the first black high school in the State of Texas. It was originally operated in rented quarters at the corner of 16th Street and Avenue L beginning in 1885. In 1893, famed architect Nicholas Clayton designed a two-story brick structure with six classrooms as the third location of Central High School. Immediately prior to the move to this building, the facilities had been located at 15th Street and Avenue N. The total cost of Clayton’s building was about $12,000. In May of 1904, Galveston School Board authorized the construction of “an annex to the Central High School for a library for the colored people of Galveston.” In 1924 a new wing was added to the 1893 building on the west side. It was a two-story stucco building providing additional classrooms, science laboratories and an auditorium and gymnasium facility.

The Five Central High School Buildings

Former Principals of Central High School