The Liberia School

Many of you have journeyed with me as I have discovered the "miracle" of the Rosenwald, Tuskegee, and Howland schools. Last month, in North Carolina, I came across a historic school built with Rosenwald funding, but a new name - the Liberia School. The school was built between 1921-1922, measures 20x32 feet, has a rather small porch and features a "hipped roof."

Okay, you're wondering is a "hipped roof" one that Tower of Power sang about? (A few of you will get that.) Well most roofs in North America are "gable" roofs, which means they have two sloping sides, joined together at the top. A "hipped" roof has four sides and no gable end. (I know, I know - you're still either wondering or laughing about the Tower of Power reference.)

The Rosenwald Foundation aided in the construction of 25 schools in Warren County, where this school is located. This is from the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION FORM:

"The Liberia School is a one-teacher frame school building, measuring approximately twenty by thirty-two feet, constructed with Rosenwald Funds in 1921-1922 in the small Warren County community of Liberia...The one-story hip-roof building faces south, and as suggested by the Rosenwald Foundation for buildings facing south and east, has only three small windows on the fa9ade. A small gable-roof porch covers the two doors on the facade. The porch posts and floor have been replaced but decorative shingles still adorn the gable-front of the porch. The exterior of the building is sheathed in "German" or novelty siding. The building stands on brick piers, and has exposed rafter tails. The pressed metal roof, painted red, has impressions mimicking decorative shingles..."

There's more to the report but this will suffice for this post.

The funny thing is that I had parked in the National Park Service parking lot to get a shot of a building across the street, It wasn't until I was leaving that I saw the sign "Liberia School, Built in 1921 with funds from Rosenwald Foundation." Probably the fastest u-turn I've ever made.

There I was, standing right beside history and almost totally missed it. Look around you. There's history, probably some place you've driven by a hundred times, and never noticed.