DuBois, W. E. B., School
Also known as: Wake Forest Graded School (Colored); Wake Forest Colored High
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Brick school campus on about four acres in Wake Forest, built in stages from 1926 to 1942. The first building, the Wake Forest Graded School (Colored), was a seven-room school completed in 1926 with help from the Julius Rosenwald Fund, which was a major source of school construction for black students in the South. The 1939 high school, designed by consulting architect Frank B. Simpson and built by Ervin-West Construction Company with Public Works Administration funds, has a hipped roof and a decorated central portico. In 1942 a frame schoolhouse from the Ebenezer community was moved to the site, veneered in brick, and used for vocational agriculture classes. The campus was renamed for W.E.B. Du Bois in 1939 and served the black community until county schools were desegregated in 1971. It is regarded as the principal surviving record of Black education in Wake Forest before 1943, and it remains a source of pride for its alumni.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the campus is significant for its association with the education of black students in Wake Forest from 1926 to 1943. The 1926 building was funded in part by the Julius Rosenwald Fund, and the 1939 high school was built with Public Works Administration assistance. The document describes the complex as the only tangible remaining architectural evidence of the black community's history in Wake Forest.
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 93000998, listed October 5, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 536 Franklin St., Wake Forest |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | October 5, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000998 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1926-1943 |
| Architect / builder | Frank B. Simpson (architect); Ervin-West Construction Company (builder) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant buildings used for storage, vandalized after the schools closed in 1989; an alumni association is working to preserve the older buildings. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 35.98531, -78.50071 (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 93000998.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q20203040
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.