{"nrhp_refnum":"93001342","name":"Central School","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"414 Watkins St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Asheboro","county":"Randolph County","state":"NC","lat":35.710645243000045,"lon":-79.80364785199998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1993-11-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Black","Education"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Central School is a one-story red brick school building at 414 Watkins Street in the East Side neighborhood of Asheboro, Randolph County, North Carolina. It was built in 1926 from a Rosenwald Fund plan and expanded with a two-level wing in 1948.","why_significant":"The school served for much of its history as the only public school in Randolph County offering secondary education to African Americans, and it was a community center for the East Side neighborhood. It is a well-preserved example of a Rosenwald school built from a published pattern-book design. The 1948 wing adds an International Style addition that barely disturbed the original building.","narrative":"Central School, at 414 Watkins Street in Asheboro's East Side neighborhood, opened in 1926 as a school for African-American children. Its design follows the Julius Rosenwald Fund's \"Seven Teacher Community School\" plan, with classrooms along a central corridor and an auditorium at the rear. Funds came from the county school board, from local black residents, and from the Rosenwald Fund. The red brick building has a gable roof, banks of wooden windows and light Bungalow details. A two-level International Style wing, added in 1948 for $63,000, roughly doubled the school's size with more classrooms, indoor bathrooms and a cafeteria. For much of its history the school was the only public secondary school for Black students in Randolph County, and it also served as a community gathering place. It closed in 1969. Weather and vandalism have since damaged windows and interiors, though the original layout and much early detail remain. A neighborhood association has planned its reuse as housing for older residents.","period_of_significance":"1926-1943","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Other: scholastic functionalism; International Style","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Closed as a school in 1969 and described as vacant; weather and vandalism have damaged window frames and other fabric. The neighborhood association planned to convert it to senior housing.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:57:50.140113-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/2/7219/47721902/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/93001342.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/93001342/32e160f1af-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/93001342/32e160f1af-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Central_School,_Asheboro.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Central_School,_Asheboro.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47721902","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_School_(Asheboro,_North_Carolina)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5061791"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/randolph-county/central-school-93001342/"}