St. Matthew High School Photo by Candice Pauley, courtesy of Cane River National Heritage Area

St. Matthew High School was the second high school for African Americans in Natchitoches Parish, and the only one to cater to rural areas. Located three miles north of Melrose, St. Matthew High School provided the opportunity for secondary education to hundreds of black and creole children who lived and worked on small farms and plantations. Education for African Americans was often ignored or under-funded in the early 20 th century, especially in rural areas of the Deep South. In order to overcome this, many schools were supported by local churches and volunteers from the community. St. Matthew High School was one such institution, beginning as a church school in 1916. St. Matthew Baptist Church later sold the land for the original school house to the parish for one dollar in 1938. A three room, wood-frame school house was built that offered grades nine through 11.

St. Matthew High School Photo by Candice Pauley, courtesy of Cane River National Heritage Area

In 1947, the parish approved the school to teach 12th grade, allowing it to award high school diplomas. The school experienced a great increase in enrollment and needed to be expanded. Materials were paid for by the school board, but construction on the four-room addition was carried out by a volunteer group led by the school’s long-time principle Noble Butler. Even this expansion proved insufficient to deal with the school’s broadening enrollment, and in 1950 construction began on the modern brick school building. The new St. Matthew School opened its doors in 1952. The school served the people of south Natchitoches Parish until it was closed in 1989. The Natchitoches Parish School Board donated the building to the St. Matthew School Community Association , Inc., which has since pursued plans to convert the building into a community center.

St. Matthew High School is located on Hwy. 119, approximately three miles north of Melrose. It is not currently open for tours.