Tag Archives: National Register of Historic Places

-Tennessee, Black History, National Register of Historic Places, Rosenwald Schools, Schools

Cairo School-A Historic Rosenwald School in Sumner County, Tennessee

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The Cairo School served the Cairo Community of Sumner County, Tennessee, for thirty-five years. Opened in 1923, it was built using the one-room/one-teacher Rosenwald school plan. Students attended the school up to eighth grade.

The community raised $700 for the school’s construction, while the Rosenwald fund provided $500. The Tennessee public school fund matched the community’s contribution and gave $700.

It was one of seven schools built in the county. It is one of two extant schools in the community, and both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

-North Carolina, Black History, Cemeteries, Churches and Temples, National Register of Historic Places

St. John “A” Baptist Church and South Asheville Cemetery

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Located in South Asheville, the St. John “A” Baptist Church and the South Asheville Cemetery were originally part of a Black community that was absorbed into Kenilworth. The cemetery and church were not annexed into Kenilworth.

Built in 1929, this brick Gothic Revival church is the third church for the congregation. It is located next to the South Asheville Cemetery, which began as a cemetery for the enslaved. Its first caretaker was George Avery (1844-1938). Believed to be a United States Color Troop member, he returned to Asheville after the Civil War and became the sexton to care for the cemetery.

It is estimated that over 3000 people are buried in the cemetery, which was one of the few places where Black community members of Asheville could be buried. There are only about 100 headstones in the cemetery, though.

The church is now the official steward of the cemetery. When the cemetery became overgrown, volunteers from the church took care of it. Fortunately, the church now receives help from volunteers across the city.

The church and cemetery were put on the National Register of Historic Places

-North Carolina, Churches and Temples, National Register of Historic Places

Historic Webster Baptist Church Overlooks the Tuckasegee River in North Carolina

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Over Labor Day weekend, I took a trip to Western North Carolina. With the devastating floods caused by Hutticane Helene, I thought I would share some of the beautiful places I photographed.

The Webster Baptist Church sits on a bluff above the Tuckasegee River in Webster, North Carolina. The river flooded, but I don’t yet know how Webster fared.

The church was built in 1900. Joseph and Lawrence Cowan, a local father and son cabinetmaker duo, built the original furniture, which is still in use today.

It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

Image from the National Register of Historic Places application

-Georgia, Houses, National Register of Historic Places

The William Knight House-The First Lustron Built in Georgia Still Stands Today

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Lustron Houses were built to fulfill the demand for housing after the conclusion of World War II. The prefabricated metal homes rolled off the assembly line in 1947. Envisioned by Carl Strandlund but designed by architects Morris Beckman and Roy Burton Blass, the homes were in production only until 1950. The company could not repay its loan, so it folded.

The homes didn’t come to Georgia until Jafra Corporation. William Knight, an accomplished Atlanta realtor, served as president. His home was the first one built. He and his wife, Ruth, moved into the home, where it served as a model for potential buyers.

The home was the Westchester duplex. It had two bedrooms and was equipped with porcelain panels. The Knights lived in the home until the 1990s. It is now an AirBNB.

June 5, 1949 article in The Atlanta Constitution
May 2, 1950 advertisement in The Atlanta Constitution
-Tennessee, Black History, Cemeteries, Famous People, Hotels and Motels, National Register of Historic Places

The Childhood Home of Alex Haley in Henning, Tennessee

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Alex Haley was born in Ithaca, New York, in 1921. Very early, he moved with his family to his maternal grandparents’ house in Henning, Tennessee. This 1918 American Craftsman served as a home base for the family for the next five years. It is also where Haley would hear the stories of his ancestors and other relatives. These stories inspired him to write Roots

The home was initially known as the WE Palmer because his grandfather was a successful businessman in town, and he built the home. The home was fully restored, and the furniture used by the family is in the house. The house was put in the National Re

-Tennessee, Abandoned, Churches and Temples, National Register of Historic Places

Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Bell Buckle, Tennessee

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Built in 1883, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church is in the picturesque town of Bell Buckle, Tennessee. The Gothic Revival church is now abandoned. It is a contributing property to the Bell Buckle Historic District.