BLYTHEWOOD – The Blythewood Historical Society and Museum will host its annual Black History Month Celebration Saturday, Feb. 22, from 12 – 2 p.m., at the Bethel-Hanberry Elementary School. The event will feature the unveiling of a new historical marker at the school.
Special guest will be Cecily Baxley Johnson, the first secretary of the school’s legendary principal and namesake, Annie Hanberry.
The BHS&M held a previous Black History Month Celebration at the original Bethel-Hanberry School before it was torn down in 2022 to make way for the new Bethel-Hanberry building. Held in the school’s gym the event drew approximately 100 people, most of whom had attended the school. For them, it was a walk down memory lane.
As early as 1908, Bethel School, also known as Blythewood Colored School, opened on land tradition says belonged to Bethel Baptist Church. In c. 1920, the school moved into a two-teacher building built on the current site with support from the Julius Rosenwald Fund. It was later replaced by a six-room frame elementary school and a six-room concrete block building for high school grades.
The unveiling of the historic marker commemorating the school will be held at 12 noon. The event is free and the public is invited.
The school is located at 125 Boney Road in Blythewood.
For more information, contact the BHS&M at (803) 333-8133. The Society is located in the Langford-Nord House at 100 McNulty St. in Blythewood.
