Marker Unveiled

Community members gathered Saturday at Lincoln Park to celebrate Juneteenth and witness the unveiling of a historic marker honoring the legacy of the Lincoln School for Colored Children. The marker, years in the making and made possible largely through the efforts of Shannon Hudson and Vicky Elmore Hudson-Swisher, commemorates a school that served Black students in Crawfordsville from 1882 until its closure in 1947. The school’s final building stood at the corner of East Wabash Avenue and Pine Street, now the site of Lincoln Park. The marker serves as the capstone of the City of Crawfordsville’s 2024 park renovation project and is dedicated to preserving the memory of the students, educators and families connected to the school. The event was supported in part by a 2026 “Restoring Hope-Restoring Trust” Wabash College Community Partnership Grant. Jerry Norvell, one of the last surviving Lincoln School alumni was honored and unveiled the marker. His family’s business Norvell’s BBQ and Catering provided food for attendees.