Proposed Rosenwald School Design Featured in MoMA’s Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive

A Frank Lloyd Wright proposed design for a Rosenwald School for African American children will be presented by Mabel O. Wilson, Columbia University and the Society of Architectural Historians, during a special study day at MoMA on June 2.

A sketch by architect Frank Lloyd Wright envisions the Rosenwald Foundation School. It will be presented along with many other items from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives in a major retrospective planned by New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 2017. – Original Credit: Handout (Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation / HANDOUT)

The MoMA Exhibit: Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archive will run from June 12 – Oct. 1, 2017. It marks the 150th anniversary of the American Architect’s birth and the fifth anniversary of the transferof the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives to the joint stewardship of MoMA and the Avery Architecture and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University.

Prof. Wilson is the author of Negro Building: Black Americans in the World of Fairs and Museums, a runner-up for John Hope Franklin Prize for the best American Studies publication in 2012. Her scholarly essays have appeared in numerous journals and books on critical geography, memory studies, art and architecture. She has received awards, fellowships and residencies from Getty Research Institute, New York State Council for the Arts, and ID magazine. She is currently developing the manuscript Building Race and Nation: How Slavery Influenced Antebellum American Civic Architecture and collaborating on a collection of essays on race and modern architecture.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s proposed design in 1928 was probably never built because it would have been too expensive. His version was ambitious and included a courtyard with a swimming pool and a proscenium stage. Its construction would have included pioneering use of concrete and fieldstone that he would use on later buildings.

In total, there were 5,357 Rosenwald schools, shop houses, and teacher’s houses built. Most remained in use until the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling went into effect in 1954 and black schools were no longer a necessity. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is working to restore many of the school and many of the buildings have found new uses as town halls, community centers and more.

Read more on Prof. Wilson’s presentation here.
Read more on MoMA’s exhibition here.

MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation Program Helps Save Historic Sites Like West Bemis Rosenwald School

Middle Tennessee State University’s (MTSU) Center for Historic Preservation is accepting proposals for its Professional Services Partnerships program. According to the Center, the partnership provides communities with an opportunity to take advantage of their staff and assistants’ knowledge and expertise at no cost. Proposals will be accepted annually, with the first deadline coming on June 1, 2017. Apply here.

The West Bemis Rosenwald School is a recipient of the CHP Partnerships. The school is considered the oldest Rosenwald School in Tennessee.

The West Bemis Rosenwald School in Jackson, Tennessee, built in 1916 to serve African-American students, stands tall after its supporters worked with the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation on a heritage preservation plan. (Photo courtesy of the Center for Historic Preservation)

Read the story by the Daily News Journal here.

Charlotte Museum Campaigns for Historic Siloam Rosenwald School

The Siloam Rosenwald School of Charlotte, North Carolina could have a new home by October.

The Charlotte Museum of History has taken the initiative to restore and relocate the Siloam School. The school had been uninhabited and in a state of disrepair for 50 years. Located in University City, the Siloam School will require approximately $600,000 to restore it for educational purposes and as community gathering place.

Rosenwald Schools emerged throughout the South during the early 20th century to provide schools for African American children. “The Rosenwald Schools were built not only to be an educational resource, but also a community gathering spot,” Charlotte Museum of History President and CEO Kay Peninger said.

October marks the centennial of the Rosenwald Foundation’s incorporation. There used to be a “Rosenwald Day” during the school’s heyday. “It was typically held in March or April. I’d love to find out more about that and maybe have a Rosenwald Day in April just to kind of help with the fundraising… Wouldn’t that be cool to have the building here by 2017?” Peninger said.

The restoration, move, and installation of the school are all contingent upon how quickly funds can be raised. The GoFundMe Page can be found here.

Read the full article here.

The Ridgeley Rosenwald School Celebrates its 90th Anniversary (1927 to 2017)

Congratulations to the Ridgeley Rosenwald School for their 90th Anniversary Celebration!

The celebration started Sunday, February 28, 2017 at 3:30PM with special guest speaker Ms. Elizabeth Hewlett, Chairman of Prince George’s County Planning Board, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

Elizabeth Hewlett, Chairman of Prince George’s County Planning Board, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

Elizabeth Hewlett, Chairman of Prince George’s County Planning Board, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

Christopher Deutsch (above) the great, great grandson of Julius Rosenwald.

Christopher Deutsch (above) the great, great grandson of Julius Rosenwald.

Ms. Mildred Ridgley who attended the school was in the audience for the celebration. She is featured in the Rosenwald film DVD Bonus Features.

Ms. Mildred Ridgley who attended the school was in the audience for the celebration. She is featured in the Rosenwald film DVD Bonus Features.

Ridgeley Rosenwald School was built in 1927 for African American elementary students.

Ridgeley Rosenwald School was built in 1927 for African American elementary students.

Built with assistance from the Rosenwald fund, the school has been renovated and today it serves as a historic school museum. The program and the school is sponsored by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority also known as The Deltas; and supported by The Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

Black History Month Celebration Held at Pine Grove Rosenwald School

In 1923, the Pine Grove School was one of fifteen Rosenwald schools in Richland County, South Carolina. The Pine Grove School is the only original Rosenwald School in the county that still stands today.

Brothers Graeson and Kincaid Cunnings portray former Rosenwald students Jasper and James during the dramatized “Visit with Former Rosenwald Students.” – Photos by Lisa Smarr

Brothers Graeson and Kincaid Cunnings portray former Rosenwald students Jasper and James during the dramatized “Visit with Former Rosenwald Students.” – Photos by Lisa Smarr

In 1912, the Rosenwald Fund contributed money for the building of such schools for African-Americans in the southern United States. Pine Grove closed in 1950 and for decades remained uninhabited and in disrepair. The school would finally be restored in 2004 as the Pine Grove Community Center on 937 Pineywoods Road. In 2009, the center was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Mack Burgess hosts Catfish Stew Tasting. --Photos by Lisa Smarr

Mack Burgess hosts Catfish Stew Tasting. –Photos by Lisa Smarr

Last February in honor of Black History Month, the Pine Grove Community Center was a site for a heritage celebration. Activities included a dramatization and visit with former Rosenwald students; heritage food, games, and crafts including quilt making, butter churning, catfish stew, and hopscotch; and special guest visits from historical figures “Julius Rosenwald” and “Booker T. Washington”

Mr. Booker T. Washington (left), portrayed by Shaban Ghaffur and Mr. Julius Rosenwald, portrayed by Bryan Lee, welcome guests into the Pine Grove School.- Photos by Lisa Smarr

Mr. Booker T. Washington (left), portrayed by Shaban Ghaffur and Mr. Julius Rosenwald, portrayed by Bryan Lee, welcome guests into the Pine Grove School.- Photos by Lisa Smarr

Read full article here.

Plan to Save Historic African-American Rosenwald School Site Calls for Moving it

Read more of Mark Price’s article here:

The Charlotte Museum of History, is heading a project intended to save and restore the historic Siloam Rosenwald School. A school built for black children in the 1920s, funded by Julius Rosenwald. The ambitious, $600,000 plan was unveiled last week by preservationists and historians.

A crumbling piece of Charlotte’s African-American history will be transformed into a community attraction. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission

A crumbling piece of Charlotte’s African-American history will be transformed into a community attraction. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission

The nearly century-old building must be moved more than 10 miles south of its original location near UNC Charlotte to the museum’s east Charlotte campus at 3500 Shamrock Drive. There, it will be restored as closely as possible to its original schoolhouse appearance. It will be filled with exhibits on local African-American history and opened to the public for daily tours. The move will happen in the middle of the night to avoid traffic.

The museum intends to raise the money though community donations, including a GoFundMe page. A campaign kick-off has been set for March 25 at a special ticketed event.

Kay Peninger, the head of the museum, realizes it may not be an easy sell to a community with countless social needs. “A community approach built the school and we want a community approach in saving it,” Peninger said. “I think that’s a very meaningful part of the history of the building. It’s a spectacular achievement to think that in the Jim Crow era, when segregation was strong and legally mandated… the community came together for this, blacks and whites, to give money.”

The Siloam School will be the first in the county to be preserved and opened to the public for daily tours. Thousands of people visit the Charlotte Museum of History each year; many of them are children on field trips. Museum officials believe the building and its exhibitions will help provide attention to the region’s often ignored African-American history.

Built in 1921, The Rockwell is Mecklenburg County’s oldest known Rosenwald School. This photo was taken in 1931. HO

Built in 1921, The Rockwell is Mecklenburg County’s oldest known Rosenwald School. This photo was taken in 1931. HO

In years past, the museum focused largely on European migration to the region, aided by the historic Hezekiah Alexander House on the campus grounds. The house was built around 1774.

“We want our history museum to tell as many of the community’s stories as we can,” said museum trustee Mary Newsom. “The Rosenwald story is one of determination, courage and optimism on the part of African American residents, and we hope we can keep it alive for future generations.”

From the GoFundMe page for Siloam School campaign

From the GoFundMe page for Siloam School campaign

From the GoFundMe page for Siloam School campaign

Exterior of the Grier Heights community’s handsome 88-year-old Billingsville School, a historic Rosenwald school fully restored. Diedra Laird dlaird@charlotteobserver.com