In the past 10 years the growth of the large industries of the south have been reflected in the growth and expansion of the educational facilities throughout the state and especially in the vicinity of large industrial plants. Practically all such cases, however, are incident to textile plants employing white labor only.
In their operations at Badin the Tallassee Power company has faced an entirely different situation. They employ several hundred colored laborers and so found it necessary to build a town for their families. This section of Badin is located west of the aluminum plant and every house has electric lights, running water and sewer connections.
Although school facilities have been provided for the colored children, heretofore have not had a real building. This condition has now been remedied and on Thursday, February 19, they dedicated a new 20room brick building. Seventeen rooms are for use of the school while there is an auditorium and two ante-rooms on the second floor for lodge and general meetings.
The center of the building is two stories in height and is capped by a steeple with a very pretty spire. The two wings on the north and south of the center section are one story in height. The building is 200 feet long by 56 feet wide. The roof of the building is an innovation in that it is covered with aluminum shingles. This makes a very neat roof and in addition to being fireproof and requiring little repair, it is light in weight and does not require the heavy framing to support it that slate and similar roofs require.
The building is located on the top of the highest hill in the town and faces west with a beautiful view across the valley. It is surrounded on three sides by a grove of pines which form a very pretty setting.
Inside of the building the hall floors are tile. The school room floors are of gum laid on concrete. The building is steam heated, well ventilated and lighted. The doors on all school rooms have locks which can be set to keep anyone from entering the room but can always be opened from the inside so that there is no chance of anyone being caught in the rooms in case of fire. The auditorium is 76 feet long by 34 feet wide and will seat approximately 400 people. It is possible that one of the rooms on the second floor will be used for a library.
The school curriculum puts special emphasis on manual training and domestic science so that upon completion of their schooling the children will be better prepared to go ahead with some special line of work. Provision is also made for adult classes at night in general education and domestic science. In other words, it is the intention that the school will be available for use by all the people and that it will serve as a real community center.
The dedication exercises were in keeping with the building to be dedicated. Mr. N.C. Newbold, supervisor of colored public instruction in North Carolina, delivered an address at the morning exercises. Prof. C.A. Reap, superintendent of public instruction for Stanly county and Dr. S.A. Atkins, principal of Slater State Normal school of Winston-Salem, also spoke at the morning exercises. Mr. S.A. Copp, general superintendent of Tallassee Power company, informally transferring the new building to the school department, presented a beautifully polished aluminum key to Mr. A.S. Anderson, superintendent of the Badin public schools. This key was made from aluminum produced at the Badin plant and will be kept in a glass case at the school as a memento of the occasion.
At the afternoon exercises Dr. J.L. Peacock of Shaw University, Raleigh, Prof. W.A. Robinson, supervisor of colored high schools of North Carolina from Raleigh, and Prof. W.T.B. Williams of Tuskegee Institute, Alabama, delivered addresses and short speeches were made by Dr. J.E. Sheppard, principal of Durham Normal school, Durham; Prof. Wylis, Georgia State and Industrial college, Savannah, Ga.;Dr. N.E. Smith, principal of State Colored Normal school, Fayetteville; Prof. JohnM. Candy, president of Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute, Petersburg, Va., and Prof. G.A. Edwards, president of Kittrell college, Kittrell, N.C.
Music for the occasion was furnished by the Twin City brass band of Winston-Salem; the A. & T. college quartette of Greensboro, and the colored school children of Badin.
As a finishing touch to the day, a real barbecue was served at noon and was thoroughly enjoyed. Barbecued beef, pork and mutton were provided by the company while the citizens of the colored village furnished several hundred pies and cakes.
All in all it was a great celebration which not only demonstrated that provision has been made for the training of colored children but that there is complete co-operation and understanding between the colored people of Badin and the officials of the Tallassee Power company.
From the front page of The Albemarle Press, February 26, 1925
To see a photograph of the school and the original article, go to: newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn91068199/1925-02-26/ed-1/seq-1/
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