A Cry in the Wilderness
In the late 20th century, newspaper articles decried the crumbling of the Rosenwald structures. Three structures remained in 1994 when Steve Lyttle, with the Union County office of The Charlotte Observer, wrote a story for the 100th anniversary special insert.
In an article in the Union Observer published July 31, 1994, Sis Dillon of the Union County Historic Properties Commission predicted that soon only one Rosenwald school would be left (Lyttle, 1994). Seventeen years later, her statement has proven true. Although the economy boomed in the 1990s, investment in the historical structures that reflect the African-American heritage and their unequal treatment in the county were minimal.
In an article in the Union Observer published July 31, 1994, Sis Dillon of the Union County Historic Properties Commission predicted that soon only one Rosenwald school would be left (Lyttle, 1994). Seventeen years later, her statement has proven true. Although the economy boomed in the 1990s, investment in the historical structures that reflect the African-American heritage and their unequal treatment in the county were minimal.
Flint Ridge School
Another school still standing in 1994, according to Lyttle in the Union Observer, a local addition to The Charlotte Observer, was Flint Ridge School, south of Marshville. At that time, the building off Landsford Road was on the property of Frances and Rob Knight, who was using it for storage. Knight said that Hurricane Hugo had almost taken one wall down in 1989. He tried to prop it up. He was willing to donate the land and building to any group wishing to restore and preserve the building for history’s sake. No group took the challenge. The building featured clapboard siding, a chimney and tall windows. The front had an attached room, either a community room or the principal’s office. Union County Register of Deeds records show the property was deeded from Robert F. Knight to Frances Knight, the same owners described in The Charlotte Observer in 1994. A search of Union County register of deeds records indicate that the property is still owned by Frances Knight (Palmer, Robert D., attorney at law, 2011)
A blackboard remains in a Rosenwald school still standing near Lilesville in Anson County. 'It looks as if the children walked out of here yesterday,' Ms. Rivers said. (Photo by Autumn Smith)
