Russell School
Also known as: Cain's School
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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
Russell School is a one-story, front-gabled frame building on St. Mary's Road in northwest Durham County, built in 1926-1927 for African American children. It follows Floor Plan 2-C from the Rosenwald Fund's 1924 plan book. Two recessed entrances flank a shallow front wing that held the industrial room, where girls learned home economics and boys learned tool use and farm work. Two classrooms with tall banks of windows are separated by eight hinged doors that fold back to form one large space. Construction cost $3,695, with money from the county, the local Black community and the Rosenwald Fund. The school replaced a dilapidated one-room school and served grades one through seven until 1945, when the county sold it to the neighboring Cain's Chapel church. It has since served as a community center. Nearly all original siding, windows, doors and beadboard finishes survive, which is the main reason for its local significance in education and architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is significant locally under Criterion A for African American education and under Criterion C as a representative example of a Rosenwald two-teacher school design. It is one of two Rosenwald schools said to survive in Durham County and retains virtually all of its original exterior and interior fabric. Its period of significance runs from its completion in 1927 to its closing as a school in 1945.
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 09000601, listed August 5, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2001 St. Mary's Rd. (S. side SR 1002 .1 mi. W of jct with SR 1003), Durham |
|---|---|
| County | Durham County |
| Listed | August 5, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000601 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1927-1945 |
| Architectural style | Other: Rosenwald School design |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Black, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a community center and annex to Cain's Chapel Baptist Church since 1946; it has no central heating, air conditioning or bathroom. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 36.12508, -78.94513 (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.
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 09000601.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18706037
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.