NATIONAL LANDMARK
Historic Passtown Elementary School

A major project of the Hayti Historical Society is the preservation, rehabilitation and repurposing of the historic Passtown Elementary School. This 1923 building is the only school for “colored children” remaining in the area from the era of segregation and possibly within Southeastern Pennsylvania.

HHS began the process in 2016 of determining and documenting the historical significance of the Passtown Elementary School for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. As many historical and cultural iconic fixtures in the immediate and surrounding areas have been demolished or otherwise destroyed, it is hoped that listing on the National Register will help preserve the physical structures, stories and memories of revered spaces that served African Americans. This building embodies the African American history of the Hayti community and the history of a segregated way of life in Pennsylvania.

HHS’s efforts were rewarded in June 2022, when it received official notification from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission that the Passtown Elementary School was now listed on the prestigious National Register of Historic Places.