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Sterling School began as Pineville Colored School and served students in southern Mecklenburg County. By 1958, the name had been changed to Sterling School. The school still operates today as Sterling Elementary School.
From 1917 to 1932, Jewish philanthropist Julius Rosenwald donated millions of dollars to build schools for black children throughout the rural South. He gave half the money needed and required that the black and white community work to raise the other half.
Morgan Elementary School was built in 1925 in the Cherry neighborhood, one of the first suburbs developed for black families. The school was closed in the late 1960s as part of the school system’s integration plan.
Isabella Wyche School served the children of uptown’s Third Ward community. It was named for a former teacher. When the city and county schools consolidated in 1960, Isabella Wyche School was converted into administrative offices and eventually torn down.
Plato Price School served children and adolescents in the western part of Mecklenburg County. It housed students from first grade to graduation. The school was closed as part of the school system’s integration plan, and the building was eventually torn down.
Marie G. Davis School was originally an elementary school for black children on the south side of town. It was named for a former teacher. After integration, the school became a middle school. The Marie G.
Biddleville School was one of Charlotte’s all-black schools. It served the children of the Beatties Ford Road/Johnson C. Smith University area. In 1964, James Swann was assigned to Biddleville School.
Northwest Junior High was Charlotte’s first and only all-black junior high. Until it was started in 1954, grades 7-12 were considered high school. The school now occupies the old West Charlotte High School campus.
Billingsville School was built in 1927 and was named for Sam Billings, who donated the land where the school stands. The school was one of Mecklenburg County’s 26 Rosenwald schools, which were all-black schools built with the help of money donated by philanthropist Julius Rosenwald.
York Road High School was completed in 1956, the last all-black school constructed. The school was never actually located on York Road, but it was given this name so that people could find it. It began as a junior high, but added grades until it became a senior high in 1959.
Alexander Street School was opened around 1918 to serve the children of the uptown neighborhood of First Ward. The school was closed in 1968 and converted into the Alexander Street Neighborhood Center, run by the City of Charlotte.
Double Oaks School was built in the early 1950s to serve Double Oaks and the surrounding communities. Because of the building’s unique design, it won an architectural award soon after it was completed. At its peak, Double Oaks had over 750 students.
Myers Street School was the oldest black school in Charlotte. It began in an old tobacco barn on 5th Street in 1882. The students and faculty moved into a new wood-frame building in 1887, located on land that had belonged to the Myers family. A new brick building followed in 1931.
Fairview School served elementary students from the communities surrounding the Greenville neighborhood. As part of the city’s integration plan, Fairview was abandoned around 1968 and eventually torn down.
J. H. Gunn School served children and adolescents in the eastern part of Mecklenburg County. It housed students from first grade to graduation. Closed for a period, it was reopened as J. H. Gunn Elementary School.
Torrence-Lytle School served the children and adolescents in the northern part of Mecklenburg County. It housed students from first grade to graduation. The building is now the site of the David Waymer Center, a recreational facility that is managed by the Parks and Recreation Department.
Second Ward High was established as Charlotte’s first black high school in 1923. It served grades 7-12. Teenagers from all over the county attended the school until West Charlotte High School was built in 1938. The school was closed in 1969 as part of the city’s integration plan.
West Charlotte High School opened in 1938 at 1415 Beatties Ford Road, where Northwest Junior High is now located. When it opened, 389 students were enrolled. Fourteen faculty members taught under the leadership of Principal Clinton L. Blake. The school housed grades 7-12.
