Monroe Street School
Also known as: J.C. Price High School; Livingstone College; S.E. Duncan Education Building
The pin is the National Park Service's center point for the property.
Why it's listed
Built in 1923 on Monroe Street in Salisbury, this three-story red brick school was designed as a public high school for African American students and stood across from the campus of Livingstone College. It was the city's first purpose-built public school for Black students of its size, replacing a crowded frame graded school in Dixonville. Originally named J. C. Price High School after Livingstone's first president, Joseph Charles Price, it was renamed Monroe Street School in 1931 when a larger high school opened. The building served the city's Black students until full integration in 1971. A fire in 1941 damaged the roof and exterior, and the building was repaired with fire-safety improvements, including stair towers and a new west wing. Livingstone College acquired it in 1985 and used it for teacher education until 2003. The building is now vacant and in the process of rehabilitation.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant under Criterion A for education and ethnic heritage. It was built as a public high school for African American students and became the city's central school for Black students, replacing a much smaller, overcrowded graded school. It reflects North Carolina's school consolidation-era building programs of the 1920s.
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 04000463, listed May 19, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1100 West Monroe St., Salisbury |
|---|---|
| County | Rowan County |
| Listed | May 19, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000463 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1923-1954 |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant, undergoing rehabilitation for the Livingstone College teacher training program, now called the Samuel E. Duncan Education Center |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 35.67318, -80.48487 (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 04000463.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987149
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.