History of the Lincoln School
The Lincoln School, located at 902 MLK King Boulevard, was built in 1939 using Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds. The construction of the school provided much needed jobs to residents of the immediate community and was the only school for African American students until Wagoner Public Schools desegregated in 1965.
Lincoln School is a one-story building constructed of unrusticated native sandstone laid in a cobweb design. The school is symmetrical with a centered two-door entrance that is slightly recessed under a low-pitched cross gable. The ribbon windows along the front of the school have been partially infilled with wood and glass blocks. On either side of the front entrance are small arched windows. A sidewalk in front of the school is made of separately laid flat stones.
The Wagoner Public School District patrons approved a $250,000 bond issue in 1950 to pay for improvements to Lincoln School. A gymnasium, two classrooms, restrooms, and offices were built there. The remaining $146,000 was used to build the Ellington Early Learning Center. The Wagoner Public Schools Board of Education voted in 1956 to build an additional two classrooms. Since 1965, the school has been used for a variety of functions and programs for both the public schools and the community, including being one of Oklahoma’s first Early Education Centers and a site for Alternative Education.
The school is now known as the Lincoln Enrichment Center, and is home to Brighter Futures which provides the literacy, fitness, recreation programs, and a safe and caring place for the children of our community. The center is also used by other non-profit organizations that provide recreational services, training, and other opportunities for children and families.