Skip to main content
Menu Close Menu

Historic Columbia

Donate
  • FAQs
Upcoming Events

Navigation

  • Tours
    • House Tours
      • Robert Mills House and Gardens
      • Hampton-Preston Mansion and Gardens
      • Mann-Simons Site
      • The Museum of the Reconstruction Era
      • Modjeska Monteith Simkins House
      • Hours and Pricing
    • Garden Tours
      • Garden Database
    • Offsite Tours
      • Walking Tours
    • African American History Tours
    • Online Tours
  • Education
    • Field Trips
      • House Tours
    • Traveling Trunks
  • Support
    • Corporate Support
      • Additional Support Opportunities
      • Corporate Membership
      • Program & Event Sponsorship Options
    • Donate
    • Membership
      • Palladium
    • Volunteer
    • Partners and Donors
  • Rent a Venue
    • Gardens of the Hampton-Preston Mansion
    • Seibels House and Garden
    • Robert Mills Carriage House and Gardens
    • Gardens of the Woodrow Wilson Family Home
    • Weddings
    • Photoshoots
    • Contact Us
  • Research
    • Object Collection
    • Projects and Initiatives
  • Preservation
    • Preservation Awards
    • Preservation Advocacy
    • Resources and Services
    • Economic Impact Study
    • Building Richland County
  • About
    • Blog
    • Board Members
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletter
    • Staff Directory

Donate

  1. Home
  2. Online Tours
  3. Barhamville-Kendalltown
  4. 2219 Barhamville Road

2219 Barhamville Road

C.A. Johnson High School

Known locally as “C.A.J.,” the high school located on Barhamville Road opened in 1949 and was dedicated the following year to Cornell Alvin Johnson, supervisor at that time of Columbia’s African American schools. Johnson was a giant in the segregated educational system of Columbia, beginning his career as a teacher at Howard School in 1914, the city’s first—founded in 1869—and for many years, only African American school.  When Johnson taught English at Howard, the school had a student body of about 900 students and twenty-five teachers, all housed in the two-story frame building.  C.A.J. High School opened initially with the capacity for both junior high and high school students and was intended to relieve crowding at nearby Booker T. Washington High School.  Today, the school serves 430 students in grades 9-12.

  • C.A. Johnson High School

    C.A. Johnson High School, 2018. Historic Columbia collection

  • C.A. Johnson

    Cornell Alvin Johnson. image courtesy C.A. Johnson Alumni Association

Alumni of C.A.J. remember the school with fostering a strong work ethic and challenging academics, as well as providing a solid base of support from committed teachers and staff. Perhaps one of C.A.J.’s most famous graduates, Charles Bolden Jr., credits his high school alma mater with serving as a “model” for his successful career as Major General in the U.S. Marines and a NASA astronaut and administrator.  

In addition to a strong academic tradition, C.A.J. boasts championship quality athletics, winning the state title in boys’ basketball as recently as 2014.

Directions:

    Previous2201 Dart Street

    Next2120 Gordon Street

    NTHP Preservation Award Winner
    Historic Columbia

    © 2025 Historic Columbia

    Administrative Offices
    1601 Richland Street
    Columbia, SC 29201

    Tours
    All historic house and garden tours start at the Welcome Center at Robert Mills.
    1616 Blanding Street
    Columbia, SC 29201

    Questions? Call (803) 252-7742.

    Newsletter Signup

    newsletter signup

    Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for events, news, and updates from Historic Columbia!

    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Flickr
    • Privacy Policy
    Website by Cyberwoven