Saint Paul’s College — Lawrenceville’s Educational Legacy
Historical feature • Updated October 12, 2026
Saint Paul’s grew from the educational work of the Reverend James Solomon Russell, who was born enslaved and trained at Bishop Payne Divinity School in Petersburg. His Lawrenceville parish school began in the 1880s; Saint Paul’s Normal and Industrial School was founded in 1888. The institution became Saint Paul’s College in 1957 and closed in 2013.
Its history continues through the James Solomon Russell–Saint Paul’s College Museum and Archives. Photographs, records, artifacts and oral histories preserve the people and experiences behind the institution. The earlier parish school and the formal 1888 founding are distinct stages, rather than conflicting dates.