{"nrhp_refnum":"76001345","name":"Wakelon School","other_names":["Zebulon Elementary Schoool"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Arendell St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Zebulon","county":"Wake County","state":"NC","lat":35.83117128600003,"lon":-78.32049475599996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1976-05-13","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story brick school building in Zebulon, Wake County, North Carolina, built in 1908-1909 with a rear addition in 1913-1914, now the Middle Building of Zebulon Elementary School. It combines Italianate and Neo-Classical elements and has a front central tower.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is a landmark in the small town of Zebulon and a reminder of North Carolina's early twentieth-century push for public education, specifically the 1907 act funding high schools. Its eclectic design, varied materials and largely unchanged exterior and interior plan are presented as the basis for its importance.","narrative":"Built in 1908-1909 by architect C. E. Hartge of Raleigh, the two-story brick building at Zebulon was designed as a high school under the 1907 act that authorized state-aided high schools in North Carolina. Its H-shaped plan, red brick walls with tan brick quoins and panels, slate roofs and a demi-octagonal front tower give it an eclectic character that combines Italianate and Neo-Classical elements. A rear block added in 1913-1914 nearly matches the original finish. The interior keeps much of its original central rotunda and hall plan, though the wooden stair was replaced. The school opened in 1909 as Wakelon High School, with a school farm and agricultural teaching, and it grew into one of the largest rural schools in Wake County. It is significant as a landmark in Zebulon and as an example of early twentieth-century public education in the state.","period_of_significance":"1908-1909","architect_builder":"C. E. Hartge (architect)","architectural_style":"Eclectic; combines Italianate and Neo-Classical styles","criteria":[],"status_note":"Exterior essentially unchanged since construction; interior refinished for continued use. Replacement was announced in 1974, but by spring 1975 plans had changed to renovation.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:42.498207-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/66/7225/47722566/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/76001345.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76001345/fbe5353011-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76001345/fbe5353011-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Matheny.michelle","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wakelon_School.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Matheny.michelle</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wakelon_School.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"100007603","name":"Zebulon Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/north-carolina/zebulon-historic-district-100007603/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47722566","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakelon_School","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7961114"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/wake-county/wakelon-school-76001345/"}