Reid's Grove School
Why it's listed
Built in 1927 on the east side of the former NC 37 north of Gatesville, this one-story frame school stands on its original brick pier foundation and has a projecting single-bay gabled wing. Its exterior closely follows a Rosenwald Fund floor plan for a two-teacher school, although the building was enlarged to serve three teachers. The school served African American students across the greater Gatesville area until 1951. It is significant as one of seven Gates County schools financed with Rosenwald Fund help, a program that combined philanthropic money with local and state funding, and it documents the Rosenwald system in North Carolina, including the negotiations between the state Rosenwald agents and local officials over the plan and funding. Surviving interior features include tongue-and-groove pine flooring, paneled doors, transoms, and a paneled sliding partition. Former students recalled the building's layout and daily life there, and the nomination uses these recollections alongside archival correspondence to describe its history.
Significance in brief: The school is argued to be significant for its association with African American education in Gates County from 1927 until 1951. It was one of seven county schools financed and built with Rosenwald Fund assistance, and the document uses its planning and construction history to illustrate Rosenwald program practice and local adaptations of Rosenwald plans.
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 11000621, listed August 30, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 931 Main St., Gatesville |
|---|---|
| County | Gates County |
| Listed | August 30, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000621 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1927-1951 |
| Architect / builder | Stallings, S. D., builder |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The school ceased operating as a school in 1951 and the county acquired the property from the County Board of Education; the form describes later use as a 4-H office and as a county African American library. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 36.41827, -76.75796 (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 11000621.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18706031
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.