Siler City High School
Also known as: Paul Braxton School
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in 1922-1923 in Siler City, this two-story brick school with a T-plan and raised basement was designed by Charles Coker Wilson, a South Carolina architect who specialized in educational buildings, and constructed by local mason Bun B. Bray. Its front facade has cast-stone shields, quoins and horizontal bands, a central projecting entry bay with a stepped parapet, and an auditorium wing at the rear. Its interior retains plastered vestibule walls, molded woodwork, and an auditorium with a sloping floor and balcony. The building served as the town's high school until 1956 and was later used as an elementary school. It is regarded as the only completely intact Chatham County school from the consolidation era of the 1920s and 1930s, and one of the few civic examples of Art Deco in the county. It is also tied to the county's shift from one-room schools to larger consolidated schools.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is the only intact Chatham County school from the 1920s-1930s consolidation era and its most architecturally distinctive example, with rare Art Deco civic styling for the county. It is also presented as the first consolidated school building in the county and a representation of statewide school reorganization.
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 98000873, listed July 15, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 119 S. Third Ave., Siler City |
|---|---|
| County | Chatham County |
| Listed | July 15, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000873 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1922-1948 |
| Architect / builder | C.C. WILSON (architect); BUN B. BRAY (builder) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The main block is intact with boarded window openings, awaiting rehabilitation for adaptive reuse as a senior living facility; a ca. 1952 cafeteria addition is slated for demolition. |
| Acreage | 6.7 |
| Coordinates | 35.72315, -79.45973 (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 98000873.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18169405
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.