Land trust to purchase historically Black school in Southern Pines after two-year long battle

The Southern Pines Land and Housing Trust purchased a former historically Black school this week after a two-year long campaign.

Posted 3:48 p.m. Dec 23, 2021 — Updated 10:52 p.m. Dec 23, 2021

Gilbert Baez

, WRAL Fayetteville reporter

The Southern Pines Land and Housing Trust purchased a former historically Black school this week after a two-year long campaign, an early Christmas gift to the community.

The West Southern Pines school was built in 1924.

"You are standing in what was called, at one time, 'Jimtown,'" said Vincent Gordon, with Southern Pines Land and Housing Trust. That nickname came from the Jim Crow south, a time and place when Black people paid $6,000 in 1924 to build a segregated school on four acres of land in West Southern Pines.

West Southern Pines made history in the early 1900s as one of the first African-American towns with its own mayor, city council and municipal services.

The land trust bought the property on the corner of Carlisle Street and West New York Avenue, where the West Southern Pines school once stood, for $685,000 after years of negotiations with Moore County.

"I think they wanted more," Gordon said, "but we had four brave members of the school board who were willing to accept our full, fair market value offer, and they went with that."

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The trust hopes to turn the property into a center for African-American history, cultural arts and business. There are plans for an art museum, a theater, a food hall and a space for retailers.

Southern Pines resident Arthur Mason said, "I'm a retired chef. That cafeteria down there. It's going to be a restaurant on this side of the town."

Some buildings need more work than others, but the trust hopes to be able to open the auditorium for performances within months, with the project to be complete by the end of 2022.

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