National Trust For Historic Preservation Announces Completion of Restoration of Rosenwald Schools
African-American schools among recipients of restoration grants from Lowe’s
Posted July 23, 2009 | Contact pr@nthp.org or 202-588-6141
The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced today the complete restoration of the of the first seven of 33 historic Rosenwald Schools made possible by $2 million in grants from the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation. The schools, which originally provided an education for African American students during racial segregation, will now serve as vital community centers in Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation initially donated $1 million dollars for 17 Rosenwald Schools in 2008 to improve building safety, stabilize foundations and roofs, accommodate individuals with disabilities and preserve the landmarks for future generations. An additional $1 million was announced in January 2009 to restore 16 more schools.
Since 1912, Rosenwald Schools have served the heart of African American communities, providing a venue for educational and social outreach. A partnership between Julius Rosenwald and civil rights pioneer Booker T. Washington from 1912 to 1932 provided $4.7 million in community grants to build more than 5,300 schools, vocational shops and teachers' homes. Individuals in the African American communities worked to raise funds to match Rosenwald and Washington's initial contributions, creating a source of pride within the community.
After the Supreme Court banned racially segregated public schools in 1954, many Rosenwald Schools closed, and the once vibrant community centers fell victim to damage and disrepair.
The seven schools that underwent complete restorations are now safe, transformed community centers that will serve as senior facilities, meeting places, museums and even computer centers. As important symbols of race history in the United States, the preserved Rosenwald Schools will also be used to educate future generations.
"America's story isn't told only at famous landmarks like Independence Hall and the Alamo," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "The Rosenwald schools represent an important chapter of that story, too, and we are enormously grateful to Lowe's for helping us ensure that these special places continue to play an active role in the life of their communities."
Only 10 to 12 percent of Rosenwald Schools still stand today, and many of the remaining schools are uninhabitable and in danger of collapse.
"The preservation efforts of the National Trust have enabled Rosenwald Schools to once again become vibrant, thriving community centers," said Larry Stone, chairman of the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation. "By supporting rehabilitation of these significant landmarks, Lowe's is helping protect and enhance places that make a difference in communities while preserving a piece of history for future generations."
Lowe's has partnered with the National Trust since 2005, donating a total of $4 million to fund additional preservation projects, including renovations to the Ellis Island Ferry Building, mechanical upgrades at abolitionist Harriet Tubman's historic New York home, preservation of New Jersey's Count Basie Theatre and restoration of the Beacon Hill meeting house in Boston, among many others.
Rosenwald Schools were named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2002. A summary of restored Rosenwald Schools is provided below (the organizations listed are responsible for overseeing the restoration, daily operation and management of the schools). For more information about Rosenwald Schools, visit http://www.rosenwaldschools.org/.
Organization: Cobb Landmarks & Historical Society
Project: Acworth Rosenwald School
Location: Acworth, GA
Building Use: Social Hall/Meeting Place
Summary of Results:
The building has served the community actively for 80 years and has been in continuous use since 1953. Improvements made will help to insure that the building continues to meet the needs of all of its citizens, serving as a community center for the African-American community.
Organization: Tennessee Preservation Trust
Project: Cairo Rosenwald School
Location: Cairo, TN
Building Use: Educational center and meeting place
Summary of Results:
When the project began, the structure was near collapse and had many major code compliance issues, ADA violations and was unfit for use. This building will now serve the community to educate school children about the past, and will serve as a meeting place and host special events.
Organization: Lincoln Alumni Community Historical Association (LACHA)
Project: Lincoln School
Location: Pikeville, TN
Building Use: Meeting place, educational events and tours
Summary of Results:
Prior to the grant funding, the Lincoln School was in use, but was deteriorating rapidly. Improvements financed by the Lowe's grant, as part of a larger restoration project, will make the building safer and help to preserve it for use by future generations.
Organization: Great Branch Community Center
Project: Great Branch Teacherage
Location: Orangeburg, SC
Building Use: Senior/visitor/computer center
Summary of Results:
Prior to the restoration project, the building was empty and uninhabitable. Improvements made as part of a larger restoration project will enable the teacherage to expand its role the community by housing senior citizens' programs and serving as a visitors' center and computer center with internet access. This will have a huge impact on the community as Orangeburg has been cited as one of the poorest counties in the US (according to The Post and Courier in 2007).
Organization: Warren County Training School-North Warren High School Alumni & Friends Association
Project: Warren County Training School
Location: Wise, NC
Building Use: Julius Rosenwald Cultural and Empowerment Center
Summary of Results:
Prior to the renovation the school building was vacant and unusable due to its condition. The renovation of the building is part of a larger renovation of the entire campus which includes a cafeteria and the principal's house (a Rosenwald building). The site will serve as the National Julius Rosenwald Cultural and Empowerment Center.
Organization: Scrabble School Preservation Foundation
Project: Scrabble School
Location: Scrabble, VA
Building Use: Senior center
Summary of Results:
The Scrabble School required a complete and total restoration in order to be reopened to the public and serve the community. Rededication was held on May 2, 2009 and the building serves as the county's Senior Citizens' Center. Prior to this project, the building was in very poor condition, nearly completely hidden by overgrown brush, and the front yard had been used a dumping ground by the community residents.
Organization: May's Lick Community Development, Inc.
Project: May's Lick Negro School
Location: May's Lick, KY
Building Use: Community center, library and museum
Summary of Results:
Prior to beginning the restoration project, the building had been vacant for several years. While the exterior of the building is dramatically improved and having a positive impact on the neighborhood the project is not yet complete. Once complete, the building will be used a community center, library annex and Negro Historical Museum.
ABOUT LOWE'S
Lowe's is a proud supporter of Habitat for Humanity International, American Red Cross, United Way of America, and the Home Safety Council, in addition to numerous non-profit organizations and programs that help communities across the country. In 2008, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $25 million to support community and education projects in the United States and Canada. Lowe's also encourages volunteerism through the Lowe's Heroes program, a company-wide employee volunteer initiative. Lowe's is a FORTUNE® 50 company with fiscal year 2008 sales of $48.2 billion and has more than 1,675 stores in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit Lowes.com/community.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately-funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places to enrich our future. www.PreservationNation.org
