Dell School Campus
Why it's listed
Dell School Campus in Delway, Sampson County, preserves the remaining buildings of a private Baptist academy that operated from 1902 to 1923. Three local men founded the school, and the centerpiece is a two-story Colonial Revival brick academy built in 1908, with an auditorium, classrooms and music rooms. Across the road stand the Queen Anne style Principal's House, a much-reduced Girls Club/Dormitory, and two frame houses linked to teachers and trustees. The boys' dormitory and the Evergreen Baptist Church were demolished or relocated when US 421 was built through the community. The school joined the state system of Baptist secondary schools in 1909 and gained a regional reputation in music and literature. Its students included six foreign missionaries, sixteen physicians and twenty ministers. Principals included Rosser Taylor and Ivan L. Bennett, later Chief of Chaplains. The school closed as public high schools opened nearby and Baptist support ended. The brick school has long stood vacant.
Significance in brief: The campus is tied to the growth of secondary education in the county and state around 1900 and to the Baptist Church's role in supporting it. The school produced six foreign missionaries, sixteen physicians and twenty ministers, and two of its principals became notable. Its buildings reflect period styles, notably the Colonial Revival brick school and the Queen Anne Principal's House. The community of Delway grew up around the 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 86001126, listed May 21, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | US 421 and SR 1003, Delway |
|---|---|
| County | Sampson County |
| Listed | May 21, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001126 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1902-1923 |
| Architect / builder | Builder/architect listed as Unknown; the 1908 brick school was built by W. L. Beach, Richard L. Herring and Joe Smith |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival (school building); Queen Anne (Principal's House) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The brick school building has been vacant for a number of years. The dwellings are inhabited. The Girls Club/Dormitory is greatly reduced and altered, and US 421 runs about 40 feet from the school. |
| Acreage | 15 |
| Coordinates | 34.80170, -78.21480 (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 86001126.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19867884
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.