1924 school threatened (Stanly County HPC)

Dear Preservation 911,

North Carolina's Stanly County Board of Education is planning to demolish one of the last surviving examples of collegiate gothic revival architecture in the state's Piedmont region. Albemarle Middle School (formerly Albemarle High School) was built in 1924 by southern architect Charles C. Hook, who also built the Duke Mansion, Belk Mansion, several buildings on the Duke University campus, Phillips Hall at Chapel Hill, and several major churches in Charlotte. A separate 1930s-era WPA-built gymnasium in the same compound is also slated to be demolished.

The school is situated in a historic Albemarle neighborhood of residences, an armory-turned-senior center, churches, and textile mills, most of which were built in the 1920s and 1930s. Razing the school and gymnasium would completely alter the fabric and atmosphere of this neighborhood—a place where residents can live, shop, work, worship, play, and be educated all within several square blocks.

Despite recommendations and reports from several firms that verify the building's soundness and safety, the board of education plans to demolish this historic building and build a one-story school on the same site.

Local organizations such as the Stanly County Historic Preservation Commission, Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation, and the Chamber of Commerce are all fighting to save the building, which is still in use as a school. The Stanly County HPC received $10,000 in grant funds from the National Trust for a feasibility study, which concluded that the board would save 25 percent in taxpayer funds if it chooses renovation over new construction. Despite this information, the board of education is still considering demolition.

If you would like more information on our efforts to save this irreplaceable building, or wish to assist us in the fight to save Albemarle Middle School, please telephone (704) 986-3777 or e-mail me. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Christine M. Dwyer, Director
Stanly County Historic Preservation Commission

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