Lee County Training School
Also known as: Wicker, W.B., School
Why it's listed
Built in 1927 at 806 South Vance Street in Sanford, this one-story brick building served as the county's African American high school for more than four decades. Originally called the Lee County Training School, it was renamed in 1954 for its first principal, William Bartelle Wicker. Designed by architect H. B. Hunter and built by local Black contractor A. L. "Link" Boykin, it was funded partly through the Rosenwald Fund and was among the state's largest Rosenwald facilities, with ten classrooms and a library. Additions followed in 1934 and 1949. Its flat roof, linear form and tall boiler flue give it a utilitarian, almost industrial look. The school met Southern Association accreditation requirements in 1946-47 and closed as a high school in 1969 after integration. Classes ended in 1990, and the interior suffered from neglect and vandalism, though most historic features survive. A rehabilitation was being planned when it was listed.
Significance in brief: It served as Sanford and Lee County's African American high school from 1927 until 1969 and was the focus of local efforts to expand educational opportunities for Black students. It is also considered a largely intact example of an early twentieth-century brick school from the era of school consolidation, and it received Rosenwald Fund support.
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 00001551, listed December 28, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 806 S. Vance St., Sanford |
|---|---|
| County | Lee County |
| Listed | December 28, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00001551 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1927-1950 |
| Architect / builder | Architect H. B. Hunter (with technical assistance from L. M. Thompson); builder A. L. "Link" Boykin; 1949 addition by William Henley Deitrick |
| Architectural style | No Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Black, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Closed as a school in 1990 and in poor condition from neglect, vandalism and roof leaks; a rehabilitation was planned and the property was listed as work in progress. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 35.47390, -79.18248 (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 00001551.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19986758
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.