Fayetteville and Cumberland County have big plans for historic Black school
Fayetteville’s historic Orange Street School will once again serve youth after Cumberland County officials approved an interlocal agreement for funding last month.
On Dec. 18, commissioners approved the agreement, which has been forwarded to Fayetteville officials for Fayetteville City Council approval.
The Orange Street school, at 600 Orange St., was one of the first two publicly funded schools for African-American children in Fayetteville and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The agreement presented to commissioners Dec. 18 by County Attorney Rickey Moorefield and County Manager Clarence Grier states that the city and county have a “vested interest in the preservation of historical structures” and that both government entities intend to use the school for public recreational purposes and cultural arts and educational programming.
According to the agreement, the county is providing the city $350,000 for the project. The city will oversee purchasing equipment and supplies, which will be owned by the county.
Commissioners approved the funding request from Fayetteville-Cumberland County Parks and Recreation on March 20, and further included the $350,000 in the fiscal year 2024 budget during their June 7 meeting.
Funding
Michael Gibson, director of Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation, provided more details to commissioners during a March 7 work session.
According to Gibson’s presentation and the agreement approved in December, the $350,000 includes $140,000 for recording studio equipment, $90,000 for technology, $70,050 for furniture, $22,500 for appliances and $27,450 for miscellaneous supplies.
Gibson told commissioners the nonprofit Orange Street Foundation owns the school building, which used to be owned by the city of Fayetteville.
Cumberland-Fayetteville Parks and Recreation has a memorandum of understanding with the foundation, Gibson said.
Moorefield told commissioners in March that the equipment and supplies benefit Cumberland-Fayetteville Parks and Recreation, and the funds are not being given to the nonprofit.
Gibson said the city most recently contributed $700,000 for renovation of the building, including a roof replacement in 2023 and the construction of a fence around the school.
Commissioner Marshall Faircloth said rehabilitating the school dates back to the 1990s and the county “has given hundreds and thousands of dollars toward the renovation.”
“It was pretty dilapidated back when it started,” Faircloth said.
Gibson said the revitalization “has such a foothold” in the community because of the school’s historic significance and being on the National Historic Register.
Programs
Parks and Recreation, Gibson said, intends to use the school to better serve the community.
Gibson said that 92% of responders in a recent poll said Parks and Recreation is just for sports.
He said his department’s mission is to also be diverse and inclusive and that it also wants to serve children and adults who may not be involved in sports.
“One of the things that came about was an opportunity to bring this school back to its prominence and then have a program that’s STEM-based, that’s autistic based, that’s musically based and having other community members and programs throughout the city where we can now host that kind of child, that kind of adult in this facility,” Gibson said.
Gibson said that while students who play sports may have a place to go after high school, there aren’t many places for STEM or music programs.
Orange Street School can provide that space under parks and recreation’s oversight, he said.
Gibson said Parks and Recreation would work with the Cumberland County Schools and local colleges and universities to seek additional resources and plans to partner with nonprofits and community enrichment programs.
Gibson said the facility will continue to host Greater Life of Fayetteville, a volunteer nonprofit organization that offers afterschool tutoring for youth.
In addition to the programming, Gibson said, the school could be rented and available for tours, similar to when the E.E. Smith house on Blount Street was renovated a few years ago.
“There is so much history inside this building that (is) just sitting in boxes … the archiving in this building will be such that this will be museum quality,” he said. “So if you just want to do tours, or if you want to go in and look and see what the history of this community was from a Black perspective, you’re going to be able to have that here; and one of the main things we want to do is to have people have that diversity and understand how this community became such a great community.”
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History of Orange Street School
The Orange Street School was built in 1915 by local Black contractor James Waddell, and local educator Edward Evans was the school’s first principal, information from the Orange Street School Historical Association states.
In 1927, a high school that eventually became known as E.E. Smith opened on the second floor, until moving in 1940.
The school closed in 1956 and was deeded to the Historical Association 30 years later.
According to the National Historical Register, the school “is believed to be the oldest public education structure” remaining in Fayetteville.
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Museum plans for school exhibit
While Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation has its plans for the school, the Fayetteville Area and Transportation Museum will have a 2024 Black History Month exhibit about the school's history featured at its museum, 325 Franklin St., starting Jan. 30.
The exhibit will be featured in the museum for the entire year and is open to all ages at no cost.
Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Cumberland County to invest in historic Black Orange Street School
