Dunbar Preservation Society works to put site on historic list

Sept. 01--A group of alumni and supporters have come together to push the efforts forward for the Dunbar School on Smith Avenue that was named after Paul Dunbar, an African-American poet who died in 1906. The school served as the city's high school for black students before desegregation.

Charles Owens, a former member of the Lexington City Board of Education and 1967 graduate of Dunbar, has been heavily involved with saving the school's legacy. He said the application began in 2008 when the site was owned by the city board of education. That same year the board agreed to negotiate a one-year contract with Preservation North Carolina to market the use of the school. PNC is a private nonprofit organization that aims to protect and promote buildings, landscapes and sites important to the heritage of North Carolina.

A year later the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte bought the old Dunbar School building from the board of education. At that time, officials with the diocese were unsure of what the building would be used for, however a senior citizens home was mentioned.

Currently the school site is not in use. The gymnasium and a few rooms have been rented to churches and organizations through the past couple of years. The Lexington Parks and Recreation Department owns the playground beside the facility.

Owens said members of the group traveled to Charlotte in June to speak with representatives of the Catholic Diocese. Out of that discussion the two groups decided to work together on signage to identify the site as Dunbar Junior Senior High School and to possibly do some landscaping, confirmed a representative from the proprieties and risk management division of the Catholic Diocese. The representative requested not to be identified.

The representative said nothing has been decided on what the site will be used for. The organization has a lot of senior projects, and the Dunbar property could possibly be set up as a senior or low-income housing opportunity. The representatives said officials understand the site has significant meaning in the community, and they are in discussion with the preservation society about working together toward something positive to benefit the community.

Owens said in 2008 the North Carolina State Historic Preservation identified the school as historic, but more information was needed. He emphasizes that this is important because it would be the first African-American marker for the city of Lexington. He said the school was built in 1951. When sold to the Catholic Diocese there was a provision in the contract for the organization to preserve and maintain the historical integrity of the building, Owens said.

The name of the school was changed to Charles England Intermediate School in 1990 to honor the late Charles Macon England, a teacher at both Dunbar and Lexington Senior High schools and a legendary coach. The name change created some controversy from community members, and the Lexington City Board of Education voted in 2006 to rename the facility Dunbar after a new school was built on Cornelia Street, which opened in 2008. That school is named for England as well.

The Dunbar Preservation Society came about as representatives of the Fourth Street and Smith Avenue alumni decided they would like to have the school listed on the registry list to preserve the site. Before relocating to Smith Avenue, Dunbar School was on Fourth Street. They created a Facebook page that can be found by doing a search for Dunbar Preservation Society.

As the members continue their efforts they are asking for support from the community. They need financial support, assistance with landscaping and help with cleaning up the area. To assist, contact Owens at 255-2241.

"The more interest we show, the better it will be in the end," Owens said.

Deneesha Edwards can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 213, or at [email protected]. Follow Deneesha on Twitter: @LexDispatchDE

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