Founded by Thomas Jefferson Elder in 1888, the Sandersville High and Industrial School was the first all-black school in Washington County. A few years after its founding, the City Council and Board of Education voted to change its name to the T.J. Elder High School. A new school building was erected in 1927, which still remains on the site today. The building now serves as a prominent community center, and it houses a museum that is dedicated to the history of the school and other facets of Washington County history. This location is on the National Register of Historic Places.
