A Homage to Eugene Johnson Sr.

When the Johnson family moved into the schoolhouse, it was part of a neighborhood made up of third and fourth-generation Black family-owned homes. Their ancestors were some of Carroll County’s first Black property owners and called Oklahoma Road and Norris Avenue home. In 1975, these homes still lacked indoor plumbing and running water. Determined, the man who would become known affectionately and respectfully as “Mr. Gene,” met with some contractors that he knew, blueprints in hand, and began to negotiate the construction of 26 three-bedroom townhomes. It took three years of planning and seeking approvals, but in 1978, the Schoolhouse Road Development was born, and by 1982, a newly integrated neighborhood had been completed. Eugene and his family would be one of the first to move in. Leaving the schoolhouse would be bittersweet; but Eugene vowed he would see to it that the schoolhouse would be preserved for historical purposes. His promise was challenged multiple times by the mid-1990s, when the deteriorating schoolhouse, then vacant and unused for over a decade, would be repeatedly slated for demolition. Persistent, the now Councilman Johnson, would attend meeting after meeting with the County fighting to protect the only Black schoolhouse in Sykesville and its history from destruction. Soon enough, with the help of the Town, volunteers and storytellers, the Colored Schoolhouse was restored. Today, the Colored Schoolhouse stands proudly on its hill, still serving students and providing lessons both from books and from the heart. And as Eugene foresaw, it continues to offer learning opportunities even to the most knowledgeable. Mayor Link expresses her gratitude: “Well done, Mr. Gene. Kudos, Council President Johnson. Your legacy of service has survived you. On behalf of all who have been privileged to follow your lead, all who have benefited from your kindness, your vision and the persistence to see it through, and for the neighborhood born of your belief that it can be better, thank you.”In memoriam, the Mayor has ordered the Sykesville flag be flown at half-staff until Mr. Eugene Johnson is finally laid to rest on Monday, March 9th, in honor of his life and service to the Town of Sykesville."Mr. Johnson's obituary can be found here: https://www.haightfuneralhome.com/obituaries/eugene-johnson-37/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJKUp5leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHaEw_A1lCpoN7Q1nAAQLRCz-va8K6joke4v_8FJ8FY1KfB76S-SZ8E2SbA_aem_ip4vBSWx6U0SfEyZE40Xtg#!/Obituary