The Jefferson School was built as an African American public school in 1926 to serve the Black population of the city and beyond.

The school's origins can be traced back to 1865.

Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the school is the site of the Carver Recreation Center and the other tenants of the Jefferson School City Center as part of a $17 million project, $5.8 million of which was funded through city tax dollars.