Old Pasquotank County Schools

Old Pasquotank County Schools

Schools:

ALBEMARLE INSTITUTE
Elizabeth City, private, white. Opened in 1850 by G.M. Wilder in building formerly occupied by
Maxey Sanderlin's Hotel. Changed its name to Albemarle English and Classical Institute in
1851.

ATLANTIC COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE
Elizabeth City, private, white. Successor to Elizabeth City Academy in ____. Closed in 1907
after establishment of public Elizabeth City Graded School.

BANKS STREET SCHOOL
Elizabeth City, public, black. Located on Banks Street between Burgess and Cypress Streets.
Frame building located here by 1908 and replaced between 1923 and 1931 with one-story
H-shaped brick building. Closed in 19__. Is anything of the building still standing?

BROTHERS SCHOOL
Nixonton, black. Located on Meadstown Road. Built ca. 1891, closed about 1923 and building
divided and appended onto Mount Zion and Pitts Chapel schools

CALE STREET SCHOOL
Elizabeth City, public, black. First known public school for black children in EC, with lot
purchased in 1882 and building presumably erected soon thereafter. In use until 1920s then
destroyed. Shown on Sanborn maps of 1902

CARTWRIGHT SCHOOL
Mount Hermon, white. Stood across from Corinth Baptist Church. Consolidated into Central
School in 1926. Demolished ca. 19__.

CENTRAL SCHOOL
Consolidated white high school for Providence and Mount Hermon townships. Main building
erected 1926, demolished 199_. 1950s wings retained and new sections built so building can
continue as Central Elementary School at present.

CHRIST CHURCH PAROCHIAL SCHOOL
Elizabeth City, white. Started by local Episcopal Church in 1850.

COLORED NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE
Elizabeth City, private, black. This marginally successful endeavor was established in 1896 to
train the black youth of Pasquotank County in domestic and industrial pursuits. It was located
in the vicinity of the present cmapus of ECSU on Parkview Drive. Its sole building burned ca.
1901 after which it ceased operations

DRY RIDGE SCHOOL
Also known as Palmer School. Salem, public, white. Erected ca. 1898 and demolished in 1986

ELIZABETH CITY ACADEMY
Private, white. Chartered 1807, it may not have opened until after 1820 when the General
Assembly named a different set of trustees and approved a lottery to raise no more than
$4,000 for the erection of a building. In 1825 the trustees bought two lots on the west side of
Martin Street between Church and Fearing (now a city parking lot) and built a building which
was later used by occupying Union forces during the Civil War. After the Civil War, the academy
was reopened in 1878 by Samuel Lloyd Sheep who was brought to EC by Daniel S. Kramer,
both being natives of Watsontown, PA

ELIZABETH CITY GRADED SCHOOL
Elizabeth City, public, white. Building erected in 1896 on east side of Pool Street between Pearl
and Poindexter Street canal, which access from Martin Street to the east. A larger building was
erected by 1902, which burned in early 1914; the site was later taken for the rear annex for the
Elizabeth City High School, now the EC Middle School. The building is shown on the Sanborn
maps in 1896, 1902 and 1908, just the fire ruins in 1914.

ELIZABETH CITY HIGH SCHOOL
Elizabeth City, public, white. First building erected in 1908 on site of old Atlantic Collegiate
Institute on North Road Street. It was replaced in 1923-1924 by a new High School, now the EC
Middle School across the street. The old building remained until it was replaced by S.L. Sheep
Junior High School in 1940.

FORK SCHOOL
Providence, white. West Main Street Extended. Consolidated into Central School in 1926.
Demolished 19__.

FLATTY CREEK SCHOOL
Salem, white. Deed in 1791 mentions schoolhouse near Baptist Church of same name.
Additional history unknown.

GRIFFIN SCHOOL
Taught by Charles Griffin ca. 1705. See his bio in Dictionary of North Carolina Biography.

HATTIE M HARNEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Elizabeth City, public, white. Built in 1933 as first modern brick elementary school for white
children in city. Renamed for longtime teachers and principal Hattie M. Harney. Building totally
destroyed by fire in May 1986.

J.C. SAWYER SCHOOL

LISTER SCHOOL
Salem, white. Erected in 1895 at intersection of SRs.1103 and 1118 and named for Elisha
Lister, owner of the property. Consolidated in 1924 into Weeksville School.

MOUNT HERMON SCHOOL
Mount Hermon, white. Near Mount Hermon Methodist Church. Consolidted in 1926 into
Central School. Demolished 19__.

MOUNT ZION
Nixonton, black. Building erected ca. 1880, expanded ca. 1923 with half of former Brothers
School, closed in 1930s. Consolidated into _______. Still standing 2004.

NEWLAND ACADEMY
Private, white. Chartered 1809. Building history unknown.

NEWLAND HIGH SCHOOL
Opened 1917 as first rural high school for whites. Building erected 1918. Still standing in 2004
but greatly altered.

NIXONTON ACADEMY
Private, white. Chartered 2803. History of building unknown.

NIXONTON SCHOOL
Nixonton, white. ca. 1914 photograph at MOA. Demolished 19__.

NORTHEASTERN HIGH SCHOOL
Public. Consolidated county-wide high school for desegregated white and black schools.

NORTHSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PALMER SCHOOL, see DRY RIDGE SCHOOL

PASQUOTANK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

PASQUOTANK COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

PERRY SCHOOL
Mount Hermon, white. Near Okisko. Consolidated in 1926 into Central School. Demolished 19__.

PITTS CHAPEL SCHOOL
Nixonton, black. In 1880 it was "colored" district number 5. Expanded ca. 1923 with half of
Brothers School. Closed ca. 1940 and consolidated into _________. Still standing in 2004
and offered for sale and to be moved through Preservation NC.

PRITCHARD'S MILL ROAD SCHOOLHOUSE
Schoolhouse mentioned in 1784 act by General Assembly regarding road building in county.
Pritchard's Mill was located on Knobbs Creek about four miles west of the Pasquotank River,
which would place it almost to Berea Church Road; this would suggest that the "Road to
Pritchard's Mill" is now West Main Street Extended. The 1923 Sanborn Map has the section
of present Pritchard Street extending between Church and Ehringhaus Streets labeled as
"Pritchard Town Road;" this does not seem to have any bearing on the "Road to Pritchard's
Mill Road."

P.W. MOORE HIGH SCHOOL
Elizabeth City, public, black. Built at what is now 606 Roanoke Avenue in 1923 as first
consolidated high school for blacks in Pasquotank County. First known as Dunbar High School
but later renamed to honor Peter W. Moore (1859-1934), first principal at State Colored Normal
School at Elizabeth City, now Elizabeth City State University. After desegregation in 1970 and
opening of Northeastern High School, P.W. Moore became and elementary or junior high
school (?) until it was vacated and eventually demolished in 1988. Shown on Sanborn maps
as "Elizabeth City Colored School" in 1923 and as "Roanoke Avenue School (colored)" in 1931.
Replaced in 199_ with P.W. Moore Elementary School.

RIVER ROAD MIDDLE SCHOOL

ROANOKE INSTITUTE
Elizabeth City, private, black. Established 1896 by Black churches of the Roanoke Association
as a private high school to train students for the ministry. Original two-story frame building on
Roanoke Avenue (shown on Sanborn maps as "Roanoke Collegiate Institute") burned in 1935
and was replaced by current building

ROSEDALE ACADEMY
Newland, white. A private academy taught here ca. 1897. Rosedale is a former name of the
community at intersection nearest Newland United Methodist Church. History of building and
academy is unknown.

S.L. SHEEP SCHOOL
Erected 1940 by the Works Projects Administration on site of orginal EC High School, which
previously had been the site of S.L. Sheep's Elizabeth City Academy and its successor
Atlantic Collegiate Institute. Still standing and used as Sheep-Harney Elementary School in
conjunction with 1988 Harney Elementary School to the west.

SMALL'S SCHOOL
Mount Hermon, white. On Halls Creek Rd. Consolidated in 1926 into Central School. This
may have been the building moved to the rear of Central School in early 1930s and used for
agriculture classes. The deteriorated building was finally demolished in early 1990s.

SOUTHERN AVENUE SCHOOL/TRAINING SCHOOL
Elizabeth City, public, black. Associated with State Normal School (now ECSU) and used as
practice or training school for future teachers. Later evolved into H.L. Trigg School, named for
third president at what by then was known as Elizabeth City State Teacher College. Shown on
1931 Sanborn map as "Southern Avenue School (colored)." Remains in use in 2004.

STATE COLORED NORMAL SCHOOL AT ELIZABETH CITY
1893, public, black. Now Elizabeth City State University. This will become a long, complex
entry. There is a lot of information in the 1992 nomination by Tom Butchko for the Elizabeth
City Teachers College Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places.

TILLETT SCHOOL
Elizabeth City, private, white. Established after Civil Ware by Isaac Tillett to teach young boys,
later adding girls. Located at what is now 410 West Church Street in a house largely remodeled
in the 1920s. School supposedly operated until early 1900s. 1905 photograph of class in front
of school. Tillett resided at 400 West Church Street.

WEEKSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
Salem, public, white. Constructed in 1923 as consolidated high school for white children in
Salem and Nixonton townships. Remained as elementary school until condemned in 1986
and demolished. Replaced with present Weeksville Elementary School.

WEEKSVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Salem, public. Completed in 1989 as replacement for recently demolished (former) Weeksville
High School.

WESLYAN ACADEMY
Elizabeth City, private, white. Started in 1850 by Larken Crenshaw.

WINSLOW SCHOOL
Salem, black. Built in late 1930s through assistance of Works Progress Administration, replacing
earlier one destroyed by tornado. Whether it also used Rosenwald funds has not been
investigated. Consolidated in early 1940s into black elementary school in EC. Still standing in
2004.

Elizabeth City High School (7-12)
P.W. Moore High School (7-12) – Black Population
JC Sawyer Elementary (1-3)
HL Trigg Elementary (1-6) – Black Population
Sheep Harney Elementary (1-6)
Annie E. Jones Elementary (1-6) – Black Population

Central High School (1-12)
Weeksville Elementary (1-6)
Pasquotank Elementary (1-6) – Black Population