If you drive on Oberlin Road in Raleigh near Cameron Village you have passed two historic homes, the headquarters of Preservation North Carolina.

"It really started as saving two cool houses. We had no idea what these two houses would represent," said Myrick Howard, president of Preservation North Carolina.

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The organization, which specializes in rescuing properties in danger of being torn down, came across the houses and starting digging into the history.

The houses, now located on Oberlin Road just past Cameron Village, were once part of Oberlin Village, which was started by freed slaves just after the Civil War.

"You would have had these kinds of communities all over the south and to a certain degree further north, and for the most part they are gone and they are even gone from the memory," Howard said.

A new documentary called Oberlin: A Village Rooted In Freedom is intended to bring some of what Oberlin Village was back to life. The film documents what made Oberlin Village special and how it was ultimately destroyed by segregation and construction. Wade Avenue was built right down the middle of Oberlin Village, splitting it in half and solidifying its decline.

Preservation NC partnered with Moonlight Communications in Fayetteville to make the film. The hope is to open eyes to the history of the area.

"I hope they get a curiosity zap," said Andria Fields, who grew up in Oberlin Village. "When you open the door, you want to know more."

Fields' grandparents owned the house which is now home to the Preservation NC headquarters.

"The story is important because people need to know the story so that it never leaves," Fields said.

Oberlin: A Village Rooted In Freedom will air next Thursday night at 10 on UNC-TV. You can watch it any time on demand on the WRAL streaming channel for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and Samsung TV.

Preservation North Carolina is also planning two public viewings next week. The first one is scheduled for Monday February 17th at 6:30 at the Oberlin Baptist Church and the second will be Wednesday February 19th at 6:30 at the North Carolina Museum of Art.