Pierre S. DuPont gave money to the colored school for modern 
technology, better plumbing, and better books.  

The modern black school C111 is pictured above. This colored school had better facilities than the white school.  

Colored School 111-C
In the 1880’s there was a one room 18x26 school built for the black children in Christiana. It was at that time education for the town's black students began.  There was a Philanthropist or wealthy giver, named Pierre S. DuPont who donated money to make a new and improved black school with indoor plumbing electricity and heat. This school was built in 1920, and called 111-C.  The C stands for colored.  The colored school did not have many students  in the 1950's because of the desegregation. Desegregation was when schools were no longer separated by color.  Now the community is trying to  make  this historical landmark into a museum. 

This is a picture of the white school in 1926.  This was a newer building compared to the one room schoolhouse, but it still had a lot of problems like, no indoor plumbing and a basement full of mud...yuck!

The land where the white school once sat is now vacant. 

The White School
Good morning class! Education for the white children in Christiana began in 1829. At this time children attended classes in a one room schoolhouse.  Eventually a larger school was built for the white children to go to. This second schoolhouse was torn down because it had a basement full of mud, no heat, and no electricity.  There was also no drinking water, no indoor plumbing, and not enough room for a playground. So, the citizens of Christiana decided they needed a new school that would have modern updates.  Another reason people wanted a new white school  was because the colored school had all of the above and a lot more.  In 1933 construction began for the new white school.   This school included everything the black school had. So all there’s left to say is class dismissed!

This is our school, Albert H. Jones as it looks today.  It is a Superior School as ranked by the Department of Education based on most of our students passing the Delaware State Test. 

Teachers from 1939 stand on the steps of Albert H. Jones Elementary School (Christiana Salem).

Albert H. Jones Elementary School
"I pledge allegiance to the flag..." Students at Albert H. Jones Elementary School recite these words every morning.  But, many of them don't know that the school was originally named Christiana Salem.  It was renamed Albert H. Jones ("Jones" for short) after Dr. Albert H. Jones, a member of this community, and the school board.  Albert H. Jones Elementary School  was built in 1934 and it opened in 1935. This school was originally built for white students.  It was supposed to be the updated white school. During the time of segregation, people in Christiana were upset because black students had a better school than white students.  So the white school was torn down, and Jones took it's place. The original building was built small. For example, the school had a small teacher room, a small kitchen, and a small auditorium. The original Albert H. Jones building was expanded in 1967 a second story, and  eight classrooms were added to the side, and two kindergarten rooms were added to the rear.  Another renovation took place in 2004.  Many changes were made, like new floors, new windows, and a new kitchen in the cafeteria. The school also become more handicap accessible at that time with the addition of ramps and an elevator.   Albert H. Jones Elementary School currently has about 450 students who come from very diverse backgrounds.  We are very happy to be able to attend school in such an historical place.