Mars Hill Historic Anderson Rosenwald School bringing national attention to Madison County

MARS HILL - The town of Mars Hill is getting national recognition thanks to its historic Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School, which hosted the Mars Hill Town Board for its February meeting.

The public records show that Madison County operated free public schools for Black students beginning in 1874. By 1905, Black schools were operated throughout Madison County in Marshall, Hot Springs, Little Pine, Mars Hill, Bull Creek, and Ivy. After the Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School was established in 1928, Black students throughout the county attended the school at Long Ridge until the schools were integrated in 1964.

The only school of its kind still standing in Western North Carolina, the one-classroom building on Mount Olive Drive was constructed in 1929. Rosenwald schools, named for a wealthy retail executive who backed the effort, were built in the early 20th century to serve Black students across the country when segregation era laws prevented them from attending public schools then reserved for white students only.

The Friends of Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School formed in 2009 and established a planning committee to save the building.

Following more than 12 years of rehabilitations and renovations, the building is now listed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places.

Willa Wyatt is the Friends of Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School's chair.

According to Wyatt and Friends member Ray Rapp, the school and its renovations is bringing Mars Hill into the national spotlight.

"The school is getting some national attention in lots of different ways," Wyatt said. "The Rosenwald Schools, nationally, the ones that are left, what we're hearing is that there are probably less than 10% left of the more than 5,000. And North Carolina probably has more than 60 of the 800 left."

Rapp, who along with his wife, Dorothy, belong to the Friends of Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School group, thanked the board for holding its February meeting at the school.

"I hope next year, we'll have another meeting here for Black History Month as well," Rapp said. "I think it's important for the board to know that, thanks to the leadership of this lady sitting right in front of me, we are, first of all, the school that its renovation has prompted the state of North Carolina to amend its curriculum on Black history in North Carolina, to include the story of segregation and segregated education in North Carolina.

"This was the school, because of the work of Willa and Dorothy with the State Department, to adopt that. It was beta-tested in this county this past spring for the first time. This little building is what prompted that."

The Rosenwald schools were named in honor of Julius Rosenwald, former president of Sears and Roebuck who collaborated with Booker T. Washington ‒ a renowned educator and founder of the Tuskegee Institute ‒ to aid Black colleges and preparatory academies.

Additionally, the Mars Hill Rosenwald School's impact has reached other areas of the country, as a group is aiming to bring a national park to Chicago to celebrate Julius Rosenwald.

"The group wants five satellite facilities among the 11 Southern states, and this is one of the ones that's being considered," Rapp said. "Some would say, 'Well, there's still 10% of those 5,000 schools left in different stages.' That's true, but this is the school that's pictured on the cover of the promotional literature in the national park.

"This little school goes beyond what we do here. It has both a state and national impact. And I think it's important for folks to know that."

The National Trust For Historic Preservation is leading the charge in the quest to have a select few schools included in the National Parks System.

The legislation, H.R. 3250, was signed into law in January 2019 and authorized a National Park Service special resource study to evaluate a select list of Rosenwald Schools and sites associated with the life and legacy of Rosenwald for potential inclusion in the National Park System, including the Russell School in Durham County.

The campaign to establish the Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park seeks to promote the establishment of a multisite National Park celebrating the life and legacy of Rosenwald, according to the campaign's website.

'Our Town'

Wyatt also gifted the town a framed copy of a poem written by former Mars Hill Mayor Ralph M. Lee, called "Our Town," which was originally written as a Christmas card to a friend or family member, according to Wyatt, who said she was given the framed poem by her next-door neighbor Garnette Sprinkle, who died in June 2023.

Wyatt said the Friends group decided to gift the town the copy of the poem, which starts:

Ralph M. Lee also served on the Madison County Board of Education.

The Madison County Chamber of Commerce met at the Rosenwald School Feb. 6.

On Feb. 16, Land of Sky Regional Council plans to host its meeting at the school.

Friends of Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School hosts its monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of the month. This month, the group will host an open house for its Feb. 13 meeting, in which it will present Mars Hill University a $4,600 check the group collected as part of its Charity Ray painting fundraiser.

"That is to go to the scholarship, per Charity's wishes," said Wyatt of Ray, who worked in the university's Nash Hall, where Ray worked for many years.

For more information on the campaign to establish the Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park, visit rosenwaldpark.org.

Johnny Casey has covered Madison County for The Citizen Times and The News-Record & Sentinel for nearly three years. He earned a first-place award in beat news reporting in the 2023 North Carolina Press Association awards. He can be reached at 828-210-6074 or jcasey@citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Anderson Rosenwald School bringing national attention to Mars Hill