In 1880, Madisonville's first school for African American students was established on the northeast side of town in a one-room schoolhouse, with Spencer Davis as the first teacher. In 1885, the school moved to this site on land donated by the Rev. Neal McCloud, who taught the school's 40 students, and other early teachers included ministers. Despite difficulties faced by students and educators, the school continued to grow, and by the 1920s a new facility was needed. Funded by the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, a new schoolhouse opened in 1926 with a cafeteria and eight classrooms, some of which could be opened together to form an auditorium. The school hosted interscholastic events, proms, parent-teacher association meetings, special programs, and the community Juneteenth celebration. Along with its regular curriculum, it offered woodwork, painting, general repair training, facilities for canning, and a farmers' shop during the Great Depression. In the 1940s and 1950s, several rural schools consolidated with Madisonville Colored High School. During the 1950s, the school district built new facilities at this site, and students voted to rename it Marian Anderson High School in honor of the world renowned contralto. Madisonville was one of the last school districts in the state to integrate, and Marian Anderson High School closed in December 1970, later serving as an intermediate campus. An alumni group continues to meet, raising funds for scholarships for Madisonville's youth and working to preserve the history of the city's African American community.