The school's first graduation was June 3, 1904, at the 16th Street Baptist Church, where 15 students received diplomas.

Its founding was spearheaded by pastor and banker William R. Pettiford, and Arthur H. Parker was its first principal.

[5] In September 1910 the school moved to a temporary location - the Lane Auditorium - and began offering skills for women such as sewing, knitting, and child care.

Plans to demolish the sole remaining historic building on campus, a two-story classroom wing built in 1927 and ultimately torn down in 2011, drew opposition.

[6] The school has a media center, a distance-learning lab, a career tech wing and an auditorium that can hold 750 students.