Bear Grass School
Why it's listed
Bear Grass School is a campus of school buildings in the small Martin County, North Carolina, town of Bear Grass. Its core is a one-story, U-plan brick school built in 1925 in a subdued Colonial Revival style, after the earlier frame school burned in 1924. Architect Eric Flanagan drew the plans, and the building included an auditorium, a library, classrooms and central heating. Two classrooms were added in 1927. Over the following decades the community added a 1935 teacherage for teachers' housing, a 1942 gymnasium built with Works Progress Administration help and donated timber, a 1948 brick cafeteria and high school building, a 1951 scout hut, and a 1955 Modernist gymnasium and principal's house. Later additions include a 1980 music and agriculture building and two cement statues by local sculptor Henry Cowin. The district was listed because it illustrates 1920s school design and the long local effort to support and expand the school, which still serves the community and sits in a rural setting.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the 1925 school as a fine example of North Carolina school architecture from the 1920s consolidation era. The campus also shows how the community expanded its school over time through the 1927 additions, a 1935 teacherage, a WPA-built gymnasium, and a 1948 cafeteria and high school building. Community support, including donated timber and civic club involvement, is part of the story.
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 05000515, listed June 1, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 6344 E. Bear Grass Rd., Bear Grass |
|---|---|
| County | Martin County |
| Listed | June 1, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000515 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Eric Flanagan, architect (Henderson); J. W. Hudson Jr. of Tarboro, general contractor for the 1925 school |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival; Other: Modern Movement |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The school campus remains in use as a school; the old gymnasium serves as a weight room and art studio, the former teacherage is used as a community meeting hall, and the scout hut is used for storage. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Coordinates | 35.76748, -77.12695 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 05000515.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19460416
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.