Church Street School
Why it's listed
Built in 1935-1937 on Jasper Street in Thomasville, this two-story brick school of Neo-Colonial Georgian design was designed by Winston-Salem architect William Roy Wallace and erected by contractor R. K. Stewart. Funding came from a Public Works Administration grant combined with a county bond issue. It was the first brick school in Thomasville built for Afro-American students and opened in 1937 with 515 students under principal E. L. Peterson. Its T-shaped plan placed large classrooms along windowed walls, and it was designed so that wings could be added later, which occurred in 1951 with the addition of two wings and a gymnasium. The school served as the community's secondary school for Afro-American students until integration in 1968. Its importance lies in its role in local education for Black students during the period of statewide school expansion, and in its architecture, which reflects the modern school planning of the period. The nearby Kern Street School is a companion building by the same architect.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is significant under Criterion A for its role in the 1920s-1930s school-building program in Thomasville and in the education of Afro-American students there, where it served as a consolidated school for all grades until 1968. It is also significant under Criterion C as an up-to-date school design by William Roy Wallace, and it and the Kern Street School are described as the only known surviving Wallace buildings in Thomasville.
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 90000355, listed March 1, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jasper St., W of Church St., Thomasville |
|---|---|
| County | Davidson County |
| Listed | March 1, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000355 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1935-1939 |
| Architect / builder | Wallace, William Roy, architect; Stewart, R. K., contractor |
| Architectural style | Neo-Colonial Georgian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Sold in 1987; present plans call for the original building and primary school to be developed into housing for the elderly. |
| Acreage | 5.7 |
| Coordinates | 35.88941, -80.08903 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
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 90000355.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18330909
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.