Cornelia Hancock, Building

Title

Cornelia Hancock, Building

Biographical Text

Brick school building.
The school was founded in January 1866 by Hancock in honor of her husband, Henry M. Laing and called “Laing Industrial School.” It was created to provide education for formerly enslaved African Americans post-Civil War. It was first housed in Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church.
The original school was destroyed in an earthquake in 1886. A school was rebuilt which stayed there until 1954. In 1945, a new Laing Elementary school was built in the town of Mount Pleasant and Laing High School was built at the original location. This school remained in use until desegregation in 1970. In 1974, Laing Middle School opened in the building that formerly held the high school.

Text

[Granite marker on the ground]
LAING HIGH SCHOOL
FOUNDED JAN. 1866 BY
MISS CORNELIA HANCOCK
NAMED FOR
HENRY M. LAING

Date Created

01-1866

Date Modified

1886

1954

1970

1974

Relation

Hancock, Cornelia (1840-1927)

Type

English Building

English Signage

Bibliographic Citation

Laing School, Mount Pleasant Historical

Project Researcher

Bysterbusch, Hailey