FMWA believes the strongest solutions are created with the community, not simply for the community.

We seek to bring together residents, educators, businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, foundations, workforce-development organizations, entrepreneurs, and community leaders to develop sustainable programs and partnerships.

Our goal is not just to acquire a building.

Our goal is to create a sustainable community asset.

A revitalized Garnet can become a catalyst for workforce development, economic opportunity, youth development, entrepreneurship, cultural preservation, and community revitalization throughout Charleston and the Kanawha Valley.

Garnet High School began in 1900, when Black students in Kanawha County passed examinations allowing them to pursue high-school-level education. The school was named for Henry Highland Garnet, an abolitionist, clergyman and diplomat who had been born into slavery and later served as U.S. consul to Liberia. 

The school eventually became an important center of Black education in Charleston. In 1927, Garnet moved to the area of Shrewsbury and Lewis Streets in Charleston's historic Black neighborhood known as The Block. The building that became the landmark Garnet building was constructed in 1928–1929. 

And this wasn't just a traditional school building. It was designed to provide a broad education, with facilities including an auditorium, gymnasium, library, cafeteria, science laboratories, mechanical drawing, printing, sewing, domestic science and other instructional spaces. 

Between 1900 and its closing as a high school in 1956, 2,438 students graduated from Garnet High School. Its graduates included people who went on to make significant contributions in education, medicine, business, civil rights, the arts and national media. Among them were Rev. Leon Sullivan, Tony Brown, John C. Norman Jr., Ann Kathryn Flagg and Elizabeth Harden Gilmore. 

The building was later used as Garnet Career Center, continuing the tradition of education and workforce preparation. Kanawha County Schools operated Garnet as a career center beginning in 1971, offering programs for adult learners. 

Garnet was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. 

Then, in 2022, the career center closed and its programs were moved to Ben Franklin Career Center. The final Garnet Career Center classes graduated in 2022. 

To: Garnett Career Center Alumni Association, Local Government Officials, Community Leaders, Workforce Development Partners, and Community Members

We, the undersigned citizens, alumni, community members, organizations, businesses, and supporters, respectfully ask that every reasonable effort be made to preserve the Garnett Career Center in Charleston, West Virginia, and prevent the building from being lost through sale or auction without first considering its historical, educational, workforce, and community value.

The Garnett Career Center represents an important part of the educational and workforce-development history of Charleston and the surrounding community. We believe this facility should continue serving the people of West Virginia rather than simply becoming another property lost to the community.

We respectfully request that the appropriate parties consider preserving the Garnett Career Center and developing a long-term plan that protects its historical significance while giving the facility a renewed public purpose.

One potential future use would be a partnership involving the Free Men and Women Association (FMWA), government agencies, workforce-development organizations, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community partners.

The goal would be to transform the Garnett Career Center into a community workforce, education, resource, and public-service center while maintaining and honoring the building's history.

The Garnett Career Center could potentially provide space for:

• Workforce development and job-training programs
• Career and technical education
• CDL and transportation training
• Construction and skilled-trade training
• Computer and technology training
• Resume preparation and employment assistance
• Job fairs and employer recruitment
• Apprenticeship and vocational programs
• Peer support and mentoring
• Reentry and employment-support services
• Housing-resource assistance
• Community resource navigation
• Educational workshops
• Youth career-development programs
• Adult education and GED support
• Small-business and entrepreneurship programs
• Life-skills training
• Community meetings and civic programs
• Public-service programs
• Support services for individuals working toward stable employment and self-sufficiency

We encourage consideration of partnerships with appropriate federal, state, county, and municipal agencies, including workforce-development agencies, public-benefit programs, educational institutions, and health and human-service organizations.

Potential partners could include:

• Workforce West Virginia
• West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources
• West Virginia Department of Education
• Kanawha County government
• City of Charleston
• Local workforce-development organizations
• Community colleges and technical schools
• Local employers and industries
• Nonprofit and faith-based organizations
• Community-service providers
• Federal workforce and community-development programs

These partnerships could help bring funding, training, employment opportunities, educational resources, and essential services into the building.

Preservation does not have to mean leaving the building unused.

We believe the best way to honor the Garnett Career Center's history is to keep its doors open and continue using the facility to educate, train, empower, and prepare people for successful careers and productive lives.

The building's history should be recognized and incorporated into any future redevelopment plan. Historical displays, photographs, alumni recognition, educational exhibits, and other appropriate preservation efforts could help future generations understand the importance of the Garnett Career Center.

Before the building is permanently sold, auctioned, demolished, or converted to a use that removes it from public benefit, we respectfully request an opportunity for the alumni association, community stakeholders, government representatives, nonprofits, businesses, and potential partners to discuss possible alternatives.

We ask that a community preservation and redevelopment meeting be considered so that all viable options can be evaluated.

Our vision is simple:

Keep Garnett Career Center open.
Preserve its history.
Protect its future.
Create opportunities for the community.
Turn an important piece of Charleston's history into a resource for the next generation.

We believe the Garnett Career Center can once again become a place where people come to learn, develop skills, find employment, access resources, and build a better future.

We respectfully ask the Garnett Career Center Alumni Association, government officials, community leaders, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and residents of Charleston and Kanawha County to work together to explore every reasonable option for preserving this important community asset.

☐ Preserving the Garnett Career Center

☐ Protecting its historical significance

☐ Keeping the facility available for community use

☐ Exploring FMWA and government partnerships

☐ Developing workforce and career-training programs

☐ Creating educational and employment opportunities

☐ Establishing community-resource programs

☐ Exploring public, nonprofit, and private funding opportunities

☐ Holding a community meeting before any final disposition of the property

By signing below, I support efforts to preserve the Garnett Career Center and explore a future use that honors its history while providing educational, workforce, and community benefits.

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Free Men and Women Association (FMWA)

Website: FMWA.info

Phone: (980) 226-3594

Mission: To improve lives by connecting individuals and families with essential resources, workforce opportunities, peer support, education, and pathways toward stability and self-sufficiency.