Faith leaders and community meet to save historic New Bern school once used to educate freed slaves

NEW BERN, N.C. (WITN) – Faith, local leaders and community members gathered Thursday to discuss an action plan to preserve West Street Graded School, a historic site advocates say once educated the children of formerly enslaved families, weeks before Craven County Schools is expected to decide whether to sell the property.

The meeting was held at St. Peters AME Zion Church in New Bern, where attendees sang “We Shall Overcome” as community members convened to protect what they described as a piece of New Bern’s history.

West Street Graded School is located just blocks from the church, on a street already lined with historical markers tied to the Black community during segregation.

Those markers include Good Shepherd Hospital, the home of J.T. Barber and the first Black library in the area.

“New Bern has preserved so much history here, but African American history has not been given the museum and truly the edifice that it needs to personify the sacrifices that were made and the triumphs that have been established and what it took to build this community,” said Ken Harper, an advocate with the Coalition to Save, Restore and Preserve West Street School.

Craven County Schools plans to sell the property.

The City of New Bern’s Housing Authority has submitted a bid of $385,000 to purchase it, with plans to enhance the building for a possible mixed-income housing development.

“While we certainly recognize that affordable housing is needed in many communities, we believe it should not come at the expense of historically significant land institutions that represent the heritage of the African-American community,” Harper said.

Community members are now seeking to work with elected officials including county commissioners to support the preservation of the site under state general statute.

Their formal requests include:

The immediate reconsideration of the sale or transfer of West Street School
A temporary moratorium on the transaction to allow proper review
A transparent public process that includes community input
Collaboration with the City of New Bern and preservation organizations to evaluate historic designation options
Exploration of a preservation and redevelopment plan that protects West Street School and its surrounding historical corridor

“To work directly with the mayor, the Board of Aldermen, communicate messages with the New Bern Housing Authority, our county commissioners and really be an advocate for the African American community as it relates to the preservation of this history. And let them know this is not about divisiveness, it is truly about preservation for something we truly feel is sacred,” Harper said.

Pastor Robert Johnson, also an advocate for the school, said, “Our future generations they need to know about the past, the present and the future.”

Advocates are encouraging community members and leaders to attend the next City of New Bern Board of Aldermen meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, to voice support for saving the school.

New Bern Mayor Jeffrey Odham did not provide a comment.

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