Beach Institute
The Beach Institute began in 1867 as
the first school in Savannah erected
specifically for the education of African
Americans. It was named for Alfred Ely
Beach, benefactor and editor of
Scientific American . Following the
Civil War, the Freedmen's Bureau,
American Missionary Society, and the
Savannah Educational Association
purchased land and with the labor of
newly freed slaves built this school
and a teachers' house on this site. The
Beach Institute, birthplace of First
Congregational Church and the
Savannah Boys Club, closed in 1919.
Operated by the King-Tisdell Cottage
Foundation since 1989, today the Beach
Institute serves as an educational and
cultural center.
Marker is at the intersection of East Harris Street and Price Street, on the right when traveling west on East Harris Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
