AFRICAN AMERICAN SCHOOL BUILDING REVIVAL
Carter C. Raymond High School
Rapides Parish
The earliest iteration of Carter C. Raymond High School was Lecompte Rosenwald High School, which opened in 1912,and was the largest school for Black children outside Alexandria, Louisiana. In 1954, a new school building was constructed, Carter C. Raymond High School, named in honor of Lecompte Rosenwald's principal. Born and raised in New Orleans, Raymond continued his education at Leland College. He went on to become principal at Cheneyville High School before becoming the principal at Lecompte Rosenwald School. Melford and Rosa Jones were longtime educators at the second iteration of the school. Melford was a teacher and coach, and Rosa was the assistant principal of Carter C. Raymond High School. In 1991, the school became Carter C. Raymond Elementary School, serving grades PreK-6, and some of the historic buildings on the campus were demolished, although some mid-century brick buildings remain extant and in use. Two rooms in the older extant buildings of the school are now being used to facilitate a head start program that will provide a feeder from head start to Carter C. Raymond Elementary School. This same concept may be utilized for other programs and initiatives in other vacant rooms of the older campus.
Carter C. Raymond High School
OPENED: 1954
CLOSED: 1991
OTHER NAMES OF SCHOOL: Lecompte Rosenwald High School, Carter C. Raymond Elementary School
OTHER USES/CURRENT USE: Middle school
2510 St. Charles Avenue
Lecompte, LA 71346
