Two New Publications available!

Preserving Rosenwald Schools by Mary S. Hoffschwelle, a National Trust publication published in 2003 is available for individuals or organizations interested in learning more about the history, architecture and preservation of Rosenwald schools. One complimentary copy per person or institution is available. Email the National Trust Southern Office to reserve your copy and provide your name, mailing address, organization, and telephone number. Ask us about additional copies for conferences or meetings. The 26-page booklet is also available for $8.00 each through the National Trust at www.nthpbooks.org.

Today many of these Rosenwald schools are gone, victims of changing times and communities. However, interest in the history of the schools and the preservation of the surviving structures has been growing throughout the region, fueled largely by former students and teachers. In 2001, the state of Mississippi included Rosenwald Schools on its 10 Most Endangered Historic Places list. The state of Alabama initiated a survey of remaining schools and developed a traveling exhibit to help educate the public about the schools’ history. In North Carolina, where more than 800 Rosenwald Schools were built, local groups have been actively pursuing preservation. In both North Carolina and Arkansas, the state historic preservation offices have put out calls for volunteers to assist in statewide surveys of Rosenwald Schools. Walnut Cove Colored School in Stokes County, North Carolina won a National Preservation Honor Award for its rehabilitation of a Rosenwald School for a senior citizens community center.

Interest is growing and the Rosenwald school buildings are proving to be viable for a variety of new uses. However, the obstacles to preservation are great. A majority of the schools have been abandoned, and most are located in rural areas lacking sufficient funds for upkeep or restoration. The number and condition of the modest structures that survive is unknown. To heighten awareness of the threats to these important historic resources, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Rosenwald Schools to its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2002. “The Rosenwald schools tell an extraordinary story of generosity,” declared Trust President, Richard Moe. “In a time of great racial inequity, Julius Rosenwald worked with communities across the South and Southwest to improve educational opportunities for African-Americans. We can’t risk losing the tangible reminders of this great collaboration.”

While some success in preserving Rosenwald schools has been achieved in communities across the regions, a unified effort is necessary to share resources toward the end of documenting and preserving these vanishing resources. The National Trust for Historic Preservation formed the Rosenwald Schools Initiative, calling together a task force of men and women with personal and professional expertise to devise a plan for the preservation of Rosenwald schools across the regions. That plan includes forming a national network of Rosenwald School preservation activists, and developing the tools—educational materials, networking and educational opportunities, and funding sources—for those activists to use in order to be successful. This web site is one of those tools.

For more information and assistance with Rosenwald school preservation efforts in the Southern region, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia contact the National Trust’s Southern office in Charleston, SC. For assistance with preservation needs in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, contact the Southwest office in Fort Worth, Texas.