DAVIDSON IB MIDDLE SCHOOL, DAVIDSON NC
The School
The Gymnasium
1. Name and location of the property: The property known as the Davidson IB Middle School is located between South Main and Cathey St at 251 South Street in Davidson, North Carolina.
2. Name, address and telephone number of the present owner of the property: The present owner of the property is:
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Schools/Board of Education
Education Center
701 East 2nd Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
3. Representative photographs of the property: This report contains representative photographs of the property.
4. Maps depicting the location of the property: This report contains a map depicting the location of the property.
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5. Current deed book reference to the property: The most recent deed to this property is recorded in Mecklenburg County Deed Book 824 on page 576. The tax parcel number of the property is 00701319.
6. A brief historical sketch of the property: This report contains a brief historical sketch of the property.
7. A brief architectural description of the property: This report contains a brief architectural description of the property.
8. Documentation of why and in what ways the property meets the criteria for designation set forth-in N.C.G.S. 160A-399.4.:
Special significance in terms of its history, architecture, and/or cultural importance: The Commission judges that the property known as the Davidson IB Middle School possess special significance in terms of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. The Commission bases its judgment on the following considerations:
1) The first educational facility built for the children of Davidson, North Carolina.
2) The site has served as an educational facility for over 100 years.
3) The school has become apart of Davidson's physical and cultural landscape.
4) The Gymnasium has special architectural significance and pre-dates the school building.
9. Ad Valorem tax appraisal: The current assessed value of the lot which is 5.1 acres is $1,444,000, the total value of the school building and gymnasium is $2,234,500, and additional features worth $12,000 with a combined total tax value of $3,690,500.
10. Portion of property recommended for designation: The exterior and interior of the Davidson IB Middle School, Gymnasium and current acreage to assure the protection of its setting.
11. Date of Preparation of this Report: December 13, 2005
Prepared by: Kristin D. Stakel
Summary Statement of Significance
The cultural importance of Davidson IB Middle School can best be understood within the context of the history of Davidson College and the emergence of public education in the community surrounding it. Davidson Academy, the first educational facility on the site, was established in 1893 by Davidson College Presbyterian Church. The property became the location of a public school in 1911 and is now the location of the Davidson IB Middle school.1 The property has special historical significance primarily because it has served as the principal location of important school in Davidson for more than 100 years.
Historical Background
Davidson College was founded in 1835 by William Lee Davidson, a Revolutionary War General, who donated 469 acres of farmland to the Concord Presbytery with the intention of establishing a Presbyterian college for young men. Classes began in 1837. As buildings, enrollment, and faculty increased, the town began to expand. In the two decades following the arrival of the railroad in 1874, Davidson's population increased substantially, thereby giving rise to a greater need for the schooling of youngsters. Parents struggled with how to educate their children, because the government had yet to provide public schooling. Schooling took place in the home or in private academies. The first school for children in Davidson was an academy for girls operated by the wife of a local doctor. It opened in the 1860s. In the 1870's, children attended classes taught by seminary students in the Davidson Masonic Hall. A few years later, Miss Lucy Jurney opened her own "school for Boys and Girls." In 1887, a local minister established a school in the same building after purchasing it from the Jurny family and continued offering classes until 1892.2
The oldest extant building on the property was constructed as the home of the Davidson Academy. In 1882, approximately sixty families in Davidson pledged monies to build an academy in Davidson College, North Carolina, which was the name of the town at that time.3 Ten years later, the Davidson Academy was founded by the Davidson College Presbyterian Church. In 1893, Mr. and Mrs. R W. Shelton, a wealthy and influential family of Davidson donated a lot on South Street for the new school. The Shelton's lived across the street from the school property.4 According to local Davidson legend the property must be used for educational purposes. If the property no longer functions as a school the property would revert back to the Shelton's or whomever has the authority over the property on South Street. There is no legal documentation that refers to this clause but according to many townspeople, an individual in Davidson found a note, that was written by Minnie Shelton stating that the purpose of the property is for educational use only.
Davidson Academy
Courtesy of Davidson College Archives
The original school, located on South Street was a two-room, wooden house divided by a hall and front porch. A few years later they added a church parlor and a six room brick building.5 Older children attended class here in this part of the school. The school housed grades 1-10 and school hours were 8:00am to 1:30pm.6
In 1911, the General Assembly of North Carolina ratified an act to establish a graded school in Davidson, NC.7 The school changed names and became known as the Davidson Graded School. In 1924, Davidson added onto the front of the school to satisfy the overwhelming need for more space to accommodate an increasing number of students.
In 1933, the Board of Trustees of Davidson Graded Schools handed the deed over to the Board of Education of Mecklenburg County.8 In 1936, the Board added a gymnasium behind the current schoolhouse.9
The Davidson Elementary School Fire
courtesy of Davidson College Archives
On July 15, 1946, the town of Davidson suffered a severe electrical storm. Davidson Graded School was struck by lightning and burned down.10 The building was completely destroyed. The gymnasium survived the fire and became the temporary school building for most of the students. The gym was also partitioned into 8 classrooms, and also had indoor facilities.11 Grades 10-12 attended class at Davidson College until the school was rebuilt.12 While other classes were held in the basement of the local Presbyterian Church.
It took two years for the school to be rebuilt and it finally opened in 1948. Davidson now had a school with indoor facilities, containing an indoor gymnasium, auditorium and cafeteria. This school originally held students in grades 1-12. The school year 1950-1951, was the last year that Davidson housed high school students.13 The following year they were relocated to North Mecklenburg High school. A few years later the junior high students 7-9 were also relocated to another school Alexander Junior High in Huntersville, NC. Davidson Grades school then became the Davidson Elementary School.14
From 1944 to 1960, J.W. Wilson served as superintendent of the county school system. On June 30th 1959, residents of Charlotte and Mecklenburg Counties voted 2 to 1 in favor of consolidating the two systems. On July 1, 1960, after more than eleven years of discussion and study, the two largest systems in North Carolina (Charlotte City and Mecklenburg County) merged. Elmer Garinger was appointed as superintendent of the consolidated system. J.W. Wilson (county superintendent) was appointed deputy superintendent by the consolidated Board of Education chaired by Dr. Herbert Spaugh.15
In 1994, a new building was built further down on South Street and now serves as Davidson Elementary. The current school site is now the Davidson International Baccalaureate Middle School.16 The Gymnasium is currently under quarantine because of lead based paint and a sinking roof, the school hopes to repair the gym in the next year or two.
1. Mecklenburg County Deeds Book (Book 90 #628).
2. Beaty, Mary D. Davidson a History of the Town from 1834-1937. Davidson, North Carolina: The Briarpatch Press. 1979 (p. 63).
3. Ibid, p63.
4. Ibid, p64.
5. Ibid, p64.
6. Interview with Miss Nora Thompson conducted by Ken Couch 1986.
7. The General Assembly of North Carolina. “Graded School Law for Davidson, N.C.”. April 14, 1911 (p. 1-8).
8. Mecklenburg County Deeds Book (Book 824 #576).
9. Mecklenburg Board of Education Minutes June 28, 1937.
10. Johnson, Pat. “The Davidson School Fire.” The Mecklenburg Gazette. July 28, 1983 (p. 1-8).
11. Mecklenburg Board of Education Minutes September 17, 1946.
12. Ibid.
13. Interview with Wayne Roberts(principal of Davidson Elementary) conducted by Kristin D. Stakel 2005.
14. Ibid.
15. Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools Website, History of CMS.
16. Davidson IB Middle School Website, about us.
Architectural Description
The Davidson IB Middle School is located at 251 South Street in Davidson, NC. It is a 2-story Institutional L-shaped brick building facing South. The school is located in a residential area, neighboring local homes. The front of the school is shaded by a numerous amount of mature trees. The school is 10 bays wide by 3 bays deep on the right and 6 bays deep on the left. The chimney is located at the center of the building. The school contains various types of windows and doorways. Ribbon windows are predominately used, but there is a presence of 2/1, 2/2, and 4/4 pained windows. To the left of the school are steps that rise up to main entrance, all three are double wooden doors with ornamentation and more 2/2 windows above each door.
To the right of the main doorway is is another set of stairs with an additional entrance, containing double doors with transom lights and a small protruding porch overhang. At the far right is another set of wooden double doors with transom lights above the doorway.
The backside of the building has the same types of windows as the front with a few smaller 2/2, 4/4 windows. The back also has a door leading down into the basement, with 4/4 windows surrounding the doorway. The school property is sparsely wooded, and has an outside lunch area with a small playground.
Backside of school
Davidson IB Middle school gymnasium is on the back property of the school. It was built prior to the school building in 1936. The gymnasium is a solid 4 square one-story building with a side gabled roof and front gabled wings. The Gymnasium contains two front entrances located on the wings in the front of the building. The doors are wooden double doors with segmental pediments and a flat overhang above the doorway. The predominate windows on the front the gym are 6/8, and above two of the 6/8 windows are round fan lights. The gymnasium has two interior end chimneys made of brick.
Front of Gym
There are three sets of doors on the back side divided by a long window. Two other large sized windows are in the middle of the backside. The wings do not contain windows on the back side of the building. There is also an entryway into the basement. The back side of the gymnasium faces a graded hill side containing a sports field.
Back of Gym