WNCHA Hidden History Hikes and Tours: Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School Tour

Details
Sat, Feb 5, 2022
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
2022-02-05T11:00:00-05:00
2022-02-05T13:00:00-05:00
This event has already occurred.
Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School
Long Ridge Rd, Mars Hill, NC 28754, USA
Free; registration required
Contact
Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA)
(828) 253-9231
Information

Join the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) Saturday, February 5 at 11AM for our first in-person event of the year. This event is free and open to the public.

Influenced by the work of Booker T. Washington, in the 1900s, the Julius Rosenwald Fund helped create schools across the American South for African American students. Between 1929-1930, this funding helped construct one such school in Mars Hill, in Madison County, where dozens of Black students attended classes in a two-room building until integration in 1964. In 2009, a group of community and alumni members came together in hopes of restoring this historic schoolhouse, and have worked tirelessly to open it to the public once again. Today, it is the only Rosenwald school building still standing in WNC. Join us as we tour the school and learn more about those who attended and saved this building. Our hosts will include the chair of the planning committee, as well as various school alumni. We will also visit the nearby marker for Joseph Anderson, an enslaved man (and namesake of the Rosenwald school) who was used by a trustee of Mars Hill College as collateral on a loan for the college in 1859. Learn more here.

Meet: 11AM @ Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School, Long Ridge Rd, Mars Hill, NC 28754.

Second Stop: 12:30PM @ Mars Hill University (Joseph Anderson grave) – 3 miles away

Note: Afterwards, guests may wish to eat lunch in Mars Hill. There are several restaurants near the university, but guests are encouraged to check their hours/status in advance.

 

Tickets: This is a free event, though donations are accepted. Donations are shared with the Anderson Rosenwald School. Registration is required.

 

   Rain Date: In the event of inclement weather, we will reschedule to Saturday, February 12. Participants will be notified no later than 8PM the evening before the event.