History of Guilford's Public Schools

The history of Guilford's Public Schools starts in 1876.  In September 1876, Martin and Maria Pattison gave their land to the School Commissioners of Howard County for $1, the same land that was sold to them by George and Julia just a few months earlier in June. George Marlow was the son of Eliza Marlow who was buried in the Guilford Quarry Cemetery in 1838. The new school was opened by 1878 as seen on the Hopkins Atlas map as a replacement for School #3 that at the time may have existed either in Savage or off of Gorman Road. Mr. Carroll, who was a teacher at the start of the free public school era of the 1865-1866 school year, was the original teacher at this Guilford school. He continued in his job through the 1900-1901 school year – 35 years as a teacher – until replaced by Ms. Lillian Earp.

A school that the Black children of Guilford could attend during this time period was School #2 in District 6 that was located in Annapolis Junction according to state and county records. It wasn’t until the 1883-1884 school year that the Annapolis Junction school appeared in the records that Howard County submitted to the State Board of Education with the teacher being Ms. Annie Edmunds.  In the 1884-1885 school year the new teacher was Hezekiah Brown who was reported to have been lynched and accused of miscegenation.  In reality, it seems the report was a threat to Mr. Brown for teaching a White child in his school.  Read the story of Hezekiah Brown from Howard County Lynching Truth and Reconciliation, Inc.  http://www.hocoltr.org/lynchings/rev-hezekiah-brown/

When the Maryland Granite Company opened in 1902, it not only brought the need for a new school for the children of the White workers but it also created a need for the education of the Black children of the new workers and farm laborers.  Willis J. Carter created a school in the church he and his friends founded - the First Baptist Church of Guilford.  The school opened as a public school for the 1904-1905 school year with Willis J. Carter, John Holland, and George Howard as the school trustees.   As the community grew there was a need for a larger public school for the Black children and in 1923 the new Guilford Elementary School opened on Mission Road 

On June 4, 1940 the School Board discussed closing 4 schools, among them was the segregated Guilford school. Apparently it was more than a discussion since the School Board received bids for the school property on September 9, 1941. This school may have been used through the 1940-1941 school year and then was sold to Henry J. W. Sieling in October of 1941.   From this point the only public school in Guilford was a "colored" school on Mission and Guilford Roads.  

A new public  school opened in 1954 along Oakland Mills Road across the street from where the first public school operated in 1904.  

For more detailed information on these schools, please see the series of Did You Know? articles below.

Did You Know? #15 - The First Public School in Guilford was Opened by 1878?

Did You Know? #16 - The First Public School for Black Children from Guilford was in Annapolis Junction?

Did You Know? #17- The First Public School in Guilford for Black Children was started by the First Baptist Church of Guilford in 1904?

Did You Know? #18 - The Black Community in Guilford Built the Colored Schools that taught their children from 1904-1953? 

Did You Know? #19 - The Guilford Elementary School is the only former public Colored School in HoCo still teaching children today?