Andrew Hargrett

Who was Andrew Hargrett?

Andrew J. Hargrett, Sr., was a pioneering African-American educator who organized Shadeville Elementary School in 1909, the first school for blacks in Wakulla County, Florida. In the late 1920s, he also led the crusade to establish Shadeville High School, the county's first high school for black students. His oldest son, Andrew Hargrett II, was in the first graduating class in 1930. For 37 years, Shadeville High School continued to educate students in the area. The school was closed in 1967, due to desegregation. On August 21, 1989, the Wakulla County, Florida Commission renamed the road that runs past the site of the former Shadeville High School, in honor of Andrew J. Hargrett, Sr., for his early contributions to education. The Old Shadeville High School Marker can be found at 87 Andrew J. Hargrett, Sr. Road. The monument was established by the Shadeville High School Alumni Association in 1992.

In addition to organizing the first elementary school and high school for blacks in Wakulla County, Florida, Andrew J. Hargrett, Sr. also trained adults to serve as teachers in the schools.