Rosenwald Schools: Caswell County, North Carolina

Caswell County Rosenwald Schools

In 1912, Booker T. Washington approached Chigaco philanthropist Julius Rosenwald about Washington's concept to build rural schools desperately needed for African American children across the segregated south. Rosenwald, President of Sears, Roebuck and Co., established a fund providing architectural plans and matching grants that helped build more than 5,300 schools, vocational shops, and teacher's homes across fifteen states (from Maryland to Texas) between the late 1912 and 1932. Six of these schools were built in Caswell County, North Carolina

1. Beulah School (Blanch)
2. Blackwell School (near Yanceyville)
3. Dotmond School (near Milton)
4. Milton School (Milton)
5. New Ephesus School (near Yanceyville)
6. Yanceyville School (Yanceyville)
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1. Beulah School

Historic Name: Beulah School
Current Name: Demolished
Building Plan: Two-Teacher Type
Building Type: School
Budget Year: 1924-25
Location: SR 1564 (Stephentown Road) (west side, 0.2 miles north of US 158), Pleasant Grove vicinity
Land (acres): 2.00
County: Caswell
State: North Carolina
Application #: 49-D
Total Cost: $2,800
Notes: Ins. $2,000
Additional Comments: Photo Available
Funding Sources:
Negroes: $600
Public: $1,500
Rosenwald: $700
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2. Blackwell School

Historic Name: Blackwell School
Current Name: Demolished
Building Plan: Two-Teacher Type
Building Type: School
Budget Year: 1923-24
Location: US 158 (south side, 0.2 miles east of SR 1317), Yanceyville. This would have been near the Cedar Grove Missionary Baptist Church.
Land (acres): 2.00
County: Caswell
State: North Carolina
Application #: 84-C
Total Cost: $2,700
Notes: Mr. R's Pic
Additional Comments: Photo Available
Funding Sources:
Negroes: $500
Public: $1,500
Rosenwald: $700
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3. Dotmond School

Historic Name: Dotmond School
Current Name: Demolished
Building Plan: Two-Teacher Type
Building Type: School
Budget Year: 1928-29
Location: NC 57 (east side immediately north of SR 1551, which is Collie Road), near Milton. This is between Milton and Semora, north of Yarborough Mill Road. 
Land (acres): 2.00
County: Caswell
State: North Carolina
Application #: 51-H
Total Cost: $2,500
Notes: 
Additional Comments: No Photo Available
Funding Sources:
Negroes: $500
Public: $1,500
Rosenwald: $500
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4. Milton School

Historic Name: Milton School
Current Name: Demolished
Building Plan: Two-Teacher Type
Building Type: School
Budget Year: 1930-31
Location: Baker Street (west side), Milton
Land (acres): 2.00
County: Caswell
State: North Carolina
Application #: 9-J
Total Cost: $2,250
Notes: Ins. $1,500
Additional Comments: Photo 3941 Not Available
Funding Sources:
Negroes: $700
Public: $1,150
Rosenwald: $400
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5. New Ephesus School

Historic Name: New Ephesus School
Current Name: Demolished
Building Plan: Two-Teacher Type
Building Type: School
Budget Year: 1926-27
Location: US 158 (south side, immediately west of SR 1306), Yanceyville vicinity
Land (acres): 2.00
County: Caswell
State: North Carolina
Application #: 80-F
Total Cost: $2560
Notes: Ins. $1,000
Additional Comments: Photo Available
Funding Sources:
Negroes: $500
Public: $1,360
Rosenwald: $700
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6. Yanceyville School

Historic Name: Yanceyville School
Current Name: Demolished
Building Plan: Four-Teacher Type
Building Type: School
Budget Year: 1924-25
Location: SR 1738 (west side), Yanceyville
Land (acrese): 2.00
County: Caswell
State: North Carolina
Application #: 6-D
Total Cost: $4,828
Notes:
Additional Comments: Photo Available
Funding Sources:
Negroes: $838
Public: $2,890
Rosenwald: $1,100
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SURVEY FILE MATERIALS RECEIVED FROM VOLUNTEER SURVEYORS OF ROSENWALD SCHOOLS SINCE SEPTEMBER 2002

NLS = no longer standing

CASWELL COUNTY (Janie H. Flippen)
Beulah School, Blanch (NLS)
Blackwell School, Yanceyville vic. (NLS)
Dotmond School, Milton vic. (NLS)
Milton School, Milton (NLS)
New Ephesus School, Yanceyville vic. (NLS)
Yanceyville School, Yanceyville (NLS)
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Sources

1. Fisk University Rosenwald Fund Card File Database [http://rosenwald.fisk.edu/], Accessed 24 July 2016. Contact: rosenwald@fisk.edu

2. Rosenwald Schools Documented in the Files of the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (August 2015).

3. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, Natural and Cultural Resources, http://www.hpo.ncdcr.gov/rosenwald/rosenwald.htm (Accessed 24 July 2016).

4. National Trust for Historic Preservation, http://www.preservationnation.org/rosenwald/ (Accessed 24 July, 2016).

5. Deutsch, Stephanie (2015). You Need a Schoolhouse: Booker T. Washington, Julius Rosenwald, and the Building of Schools for the Segregated South. Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press.
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Yanceyville Rosenwald School

The North Carolina secondary road identified in the above (SR 1738) seems incorrect. Today, that is Lee Street, which runs east from Dillard School Drive. Thus, there is no "west side" to Lee Street (only north and south).

The secondary road probably should be SR 1739, which today is Dillard School Drive and runs north-south (thus having a west side).

Legend tells that Senator John Walter Stephens could see his house from the Caswell County Courthouse. This should help locate the Yanceyville Rosenwald School as it was constructed adjacent to the Stephens house.

Also, this school was called the "school on the hill." Lee Street is flat.