HENDERSON, Tenn. – Chester County Training School–Vincent High School is among 11 Tennessee properties that will be considered for listing in the National Register of Historic Places at the State Review Board meeting on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. The meeting, hosted by the Tennessee Historical Commission, will be held in person at its Nashville office and virtually.
If approved, the nomination will advance to the U.S. Department of the Interior for final review.
Built in 1949–1950 in Henderson’s historically African American Lucyville community, Chester County Training School served as the county’s first and only public high school for Black students during the late segregation era. Known for its Modern Movement style, the one-story brick and concrete building provided grades one through twelve until desegregation in 1969.
The school traces its roots to the Henderson Rosenwald School, founded in 1922 with support from the Rosenwald Fund, local education boards, and African American citizens. When the Rosenwald building was destroyed by fire in 1948, the community rallied with county and city officials to build a new facility—an effort that underscored the resilience and determination of Black families to secure educational opportunities despite segregation. In 1932, the institution had been reorganized as Chester County Training School, the first Black high school in the county. It was later renamed Vincent High School in 1963 to honor its first principal, J.A. Vincent.
Beyond academics in math, social studies, agriculture, and home economics, the school offered extracurricular opportunities through sports, music, the New Homemakers of America, and the New Farmers of America. These programs fostered academic excellence and community leadership across Southwest Tennessee.
Today, the building remains in use by the Chester County school system as an alternative education facility and community gymnasium, retaining its historic character. Its nomination to the National Register underscores its enduring role in African American heritage and education.
The public is invited to attend the State Review Board meeting. More information is available on the Tennessee Historical Commission’s website.
