Cooper School
Why it's listed
Cooper School is a small one-story, three-bay weatherboard schoolhouse with a habitable attic, a tin gable-front roof and a fieldstone foundation. It was probably built about 1900 on land tied to Mary's Grove Congregational Church, which the American Missionary Association founded in 1883 in the Oaks community of Alamance County. It is one of two surviving early twentieth century one-room schools for black students in the county. The building has separate entrances for girls and boys, a common feature of rural schools. It served as a school until 1907, when the larger Oaks School was built nearby, and then became a parsonage for church ministers into the 1930s. Later, congregation members lived there. Local census figures cited in the nomination show black literacy in Thompson Township rising from 18 percent in 1880 to 72 percent by 1910, which the nomination links probably to the schools at Mary's Grove. The building now stands unoccupied and deteriorated.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is one of two remaining early twentieth century one-room schools for black students in the county and the only surviving building of a small educational complex tied to the American Missionary Association. It reflects a tradition of private education for black students begun at Mary's Grove in 1883. It also embodies common features of rural one-room schools, such as a gable-front roof, plain exterior and separate entrances for boys and girls.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 86003451, listed December 15, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S side of SR 2143, E of jct. with SR 2142, Mebane |
|---|---|
| County | Alamance County |
| Listed | December 15, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003451 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-1999 (form checks "1900-"; specific date c. 1900) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Unoccupied and in a state of disrepair: the second floor sags, the tin roof is deteriorated, and vandals have broken most windows. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 35.99176, -79.27161 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 86003451.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17511078
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.