The Colored School

This “colored school” served as an elementary and high school for decades in the community where it is located.
I’ve found a little bit of information that gives us an idea what it would have been like in 1938 when the original wooden building was in use. A report commissioned by the state tells us attendance was a little more than 30 students of high school age with one dedicated high school teacher. We even have his schedule listed in this report.

in 1938 that single high school teacher had one room for his students and the 4 other available were for elementary students. Numbers for the elementary school are not listed but there were 3 women and one man teaching those elementary classes.
The school had no gym teacher, gym, lunch room, auditorium, teacher’s rest room, principal’s office, or first aid room. What the school did have was a 10×12 “library” with 700 books crammed into it, a single 12 inch globe, and a couple maps.

Another school was consolidated into it in 1952 and that may have been what precipitated the construction of the current brick structure. Ultimately, it was shuttered in 1969 and the students were integrated into what were formerly “whites only” schools.
Sometime after that it became the property of a group of locals who used the building as a “club” or community center. I don’t know how long that went on, but from the looks of things it’s been empty for a long time. Based on some material left behind, it may have also been used as a church or by a church group as well.

It’s a shame it’s deteriorated to this state as there aren’t all that many colored schools left. Many were sold, bulldozed, repurposed. Few remain standing, fewer still remain in their original condition or have been restored.
For what it’s worth, this one was so off the beaten path it doesn’t even appear on NC Digital’s list of African American schools.