North Highland Memorial Community Center

OUR HISTORY

The North Highland Memorial Community Center sits on the site that once housed Prattville's Black High School prior to integration. After the original school building burned, alumni and members of the community came together to erect a building for community use. With limited resources, they've been able to preserve important aspects of the grounds' hallowed history, but unable to make improvements to the park facility or realize the full potential of the five-acre site. It is the hope of the Marlon & Marcus Foundation to stand on the shoulders of these dedicated community investors to create a space that will nurture generations to come in academics, athletics, health, and so much more..

COMMITTED TO EDUCATION

The first public school for African Americans in Prattville was opened in 1885. Over the years, the school transitioned between different buildings and leadership within the North Highland community. The curriculum included geometry, physics, Spanish, literature, and more. Extracurricular organizations were established including a student council, debate club, band, and even the Panthers Football Team, which was founded in 1967. Between 1939 and 1956, a total of 191 students graduated from North Highland High School. In the fall of 1969, Autauga County Schools were integrated, and North Highland's building became Prattville Junior High School.

Special Thanks to Mrs. Nelda Cain and Mrs. Susan Bateman Cranfield for their extensive research and efforts to record North Highland's history.