Cleveland School
Also known as: R.A Clement School
Why it's listed
Cleveland School is a two-story red brick school on Cleveland Road in rural Johnston County, North Carolina. Charlotte architect Charles C. Hook designed the U-plan building, which opened in 1927 on a raised basement. Compatible wings were added in 1932 and 1938 as enrollment grew, bringing the school to about twenty-six classrooms. Classical Revival details include a projecting center bay, an arched main entrance with keystone, concrete beltcourses and a stepped parapet. Inside, original hardwood floors, plaster walls, blackboards and an auditorium stage survive. A well house, a bathroom building and a 1955 gymnasium complete the nominated group. The school reflects the 1920s push in Johnston County to replace small one- and two-teacher schools with larger consolidated buildings served by buses. It educated local students for about seventy years, until 1999, and served as a gathering place for sports and community events. It is one of few surviving 1920s schools in the county, and the period of significance runs from 1926 to 1955.
Significance in brief: The school is argued to be locally significant under Criterion A for its role in 1920s school consolidation and public education for white students in Johnston County, and as a community center until it closed in 1999. It is significant under Criterion C as a well-preserved 1920s brick consolidation school with a high degree of integrity, one of very few remaining in the county.
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). NRHP reference 100003300, listed January 10, 2019. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 216 Krider St., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Rowan County |
| Listed | January 10, 2019 |
| Reference number | 100003300 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1926-1955 |
| Architect / builder | Hook, Charles C., architect; Rogers, J.P., builder |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Black, Education, Ethnic Heritage |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The school closed in 1999; the school, bathroom and well house were being rehabilitated for adaptive reuse as apartments, and windows were covered with plywood. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.73505, -80.66908 (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 100003300.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives)
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.