Most Westbankers know little of the legacy of John McDonogh, the largest benefactor in the history of local public schools. He bequeathed the vast majority of his estate to the cities of New Orleans and Baltimore for free public education. This once-famous Westbank resident was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1779; he died in 1850 at his home of 33 years in the old town of McDonoghville, which is now divided between Gretna and Algiers.
The New Orleans portion was given in 1858 to the Board of Commissioners of the John McDonogh School Fund, which was commonly known as the McDonogh Commission. As an agency of the City of New Orleans, the Commission initially only erected public schools within that city. This changed in 1890 when John McCabe of the Jefferson Parish Police Jury (forerunner to today’s Parish Council) noticed that McDonogh’s last will and testament directed New Orleans to also build public schools within the suburbs, including McDonoghville. McCabe met twice with the McDonogh Commission demanding a school for Jefferson Parish students in McDonoghville. The Commission subsequently agreed and would fully fund the construction and maintenance of two schools: McDonoghs 26 and 27. McCabe also convinced the Commission to transfer control of McDonoghville (or McDonogh) Cemetery to the Police Jury. It was originally McDonogh’s plantation cemetery, which evolved into the town cemetery. Later, the City of Gretna assumed responsibility, which status continues to this day.
McDonogh 26 opened in 1891 at what is now the former Gould Fire Company station site at 501 Anson Street until it burned by arson in the 1920s. A new school was opened at 1200 Jefferson Street in 1927, two blocks away from the former site. The McDonogh Commission paid a small contribution towards the cost of this school, as the McDonogh Fund was dwindling by that time. This school burned by arson in 1966, except for the gymnasium and newly-built cafeteria. The present building was soon constructed. The gym is the only building on the present campus that can trace its lineage to the McDonogh Fund.
McDonogh 27 opened in 1892 and operated at 1450 Jefferson Street for many decades. The Jefferson Parish School Board expanded the site by the 1940s, and eventually moved the school to 1407 Virgil Street. McDonogh 27 closed in 1975 to make room for Gretna Middle School which also soon closed. The site is now used by Kate Middleton Elementary School. Part of the original McDonogh 27 site is now occupied by the Westbank ARC at 523 Cook Street.
The Commission helped provide one additional school in modern-day Gretna, upon the request of Jefferson Parish Superintendent of Schools Fred Middleton, by funding approximately 40 percent of the construction of Jefferson Parish’s first high school which opened in 1907. Officially named McDonogh 33, it was known as McDonogh-Jefferson High School and was located at 32 First Street. This school closed in 1928. The site then housed a vocational school and later the City of Gretna Public Works Department offices. It is now the location of Bengal Lumber.
In providing his extreme generosity, McDonogh only wanted one favor in return: that students place flowers around his grave annually. Although his remains were removed to Baltimore from his former tomb in McDonoghville Cemetery in 1860, the tomb has remained a monument nonetheless. McDonogh 26 continues commemorating McDonogh Day there on the first Friday in May. The annual event is filmed and shown periodicallyon Cox Cable Jefferson Channel 8. As a founding father of what would eventually become the City of Gretna, John McDonogh is honored not only at McDonogh Day but also in the form of a portrait bust in Gretna City Hall. This bronze bust sits on the left side of the central hallway. The bust was copied from a plaster bust which is in the Gretna Historical Society’s museum at 209 Lafayette Street; this plaster bust probably came from the old McDonogh 39 in New Orleans.
Suffering from decades of neglect, McDonogh’s tomb was restored in 2002 by the City of Gretna from the final cash disbursement of the McDonogh Fund from the Board of City Trusts, the successor to the McDonogh Commission. The McDonogh Fund last provided for tomb restoration in 1926. For more information about McDonogh’s legacy to our area, please read The Legacy of John McDonogh, published in 2002 by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, details are available at www.johnmcdonogh.com.
By: G. Leighton Ciravolo
September 2009
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