Huntersville Colored High School
Also known as: Torrence-Lytle High School
Why it's listed
Huntersville Colored High School, later renamed Torrence-Lytle High School, is a school complex on a five-acre tract in the historically African American Pottstown neighborhood of Huntersville. The original 1937 building is a one-story red brick Colonial Revival structure with an auditorium wing. Two-story modernist wings inspired by the International Style were added in 1957. A 1953 elementary school and cafeteria and a 1957 steel-framed gymnasium complete the group. The school was built with Public Works Administration help after local leaders, including Franklin Lytle and Ike Torrence, pressed for high school access for Black students. It is one of the few substantially intact Black public schools remaining in Mecklenburg County and the only one that offered secondary education from 1937 until students were reassigned to integrated schools in 1966. The property is now vacant, though much of the interior remains intact.
Significance in brief: The school is argued to be significant under Criterion A for education and ethnic heritage. It is one of the few substantially intact public schools built for Black students in Mecklenburg County and the only surviving Black facility there that offered secondary education from 1937 until 1966. The 1937 building is also cited as a fine example of a Public Works Administration school.
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 09000636, listed August 20, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 302 Holbrooks Rd., Huntersville |
|---|---|
| County | Mecklenburg County |
| Listed | August 20, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000636 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1937-1958 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival; International Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant/not in use; the interior has water damage and neglect but is described as substantially intact. Part of the rear wing is used by the Town of Huntersville for equipment storage and repair. |
| Acreage | 4.5 |
| Coordinates | 35.39818, -80.83461 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 09000636.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19462443
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.