There is no doubt that it would take significant funding to rehabilitate the Washington School buildings, but there is also no doubt that it could be done. Studies show that mitigating floodwaters is possible. So is the option of adding additional drainage, or even raising the building. Historic structures that represent the Black experience are relatively rare in Oklahoma. Washington School in Stillwater is one of only 3 such remaining all-Black schools that represent the early 20th century and it meets all of the standards for being recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. It contributes significantly to our understanding of that time and all that the Black community faced. It represents a history that is often uncomfortable, but crucially important to understand. It is history worth raising.

In the Spring of 2021, students in the Public History program and the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering teamed up to conduct a survey and assessment of the Washington School buildings. Initially, we hoped to put together one team, composed of one historian and four engineers. When the project was presented as an option for students, so many of them requested to work on it that we ended up creating two teams—two historians and eight engineers, assisted by multiple faculty members. The enthusiasm of these students to document the history and condition of Washington School attest to the relevance and resonance of its history for current and future generations.

It is hard to gauge the condition of a building from the exterior alone and because of repeated flooding events, we expected to find a great deal of damage. To be sure, there are portions of the buildings that are in a very damaged condition. The kitchen and cafeteria located at the back of the gymnasium have sustained extensive water damage from holes in the roof. The East wing of classrooms, located along Knoblock Street, have endured a fire. The gymnasium and the original front classrooms have sustained some flooding damage, as is expected given the regularity with which they have been inundated. It is significant, however, that all of these buildings were found to be structurally sound—at least sound enough that they could be preserved and rehabilitated. Perhaps the biggest surprise came from the auditorium, located at the front of the school along 12th and Hester streets. This space continued to serve as a community events venue for decades after Washington School ceased to offer classes for students. Upon entering, we found no evidence that recent floodwaters entered this part of the building.