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Historic Sites

Dunston Family Historical Interpretive Sign

The Dunston family has played a significant role in the history of Currituck County, North Carolina, particularly within the African American community. Their legacy encompasses landownership, education, and community leadership, reflecting a broader narrative of resilience and achievement. An interpretive sign documenting significant events of family can be viewed at Currituck Community Park. One of […]

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Currituck Union Highway Marker

The Currituck Union School in Currituck County, North Carolina, holds significant historical importance as the first county-provided school for African American students, serving grades 1 through 12. Established in 1950, it marked a pivotal shift from the era of small, segregated schools to a consolidated educational facility for Black students in the region. Prior to

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EJ Hayes Alumni Center

EJ Hayes Alumni Center 705 Washington Street Williamston, NC 27892 The history of the E.J. Hayes School building can be traced to the year 1924.  It was in that year when Mr.  Edgar J. Hayes was hired as the principal of the Williamston Colored School and given the task of starting a high school department.

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Freedom Rallies

Williamston was a hotspot of the Civil Rights Movement and Green Memorial Church was the epicenter. Protesters made it their goal to desegregate schools and the public library. Organizing the efforts were a local woman, Sarah Small, and Golden Frinks of Edenton, a friend of Martin Luther King Jr. Remarkably, the non-violent protests continued for

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Reid’s Grove Rosenwald School

Still on its original site, the Reid’s Grove School educated African American students. Completed on November 5, 1927 and closed in December 1951, it was one of seven schools in Gates County (and one of over 800 in North Carolina) financed by Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck and Company, in collaboration with Booker T. Washington, African-American Educator, to educate black students

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Somerset Place State Historic Site

This historic site offers a realistic view of 19th-century life on a large-scale North Carolina plantation. In 1785, Somerset Place became an active plantation and remained active until 1865. Most programs and exhibits at the site evoke life there in 1843. By 1860, Somerset Place was one of only four North Carolina plantations with over

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North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island | Richard Etheridge Family Cemetery

The cemetery of Richard Etheridge and his family resides on the grounds of the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island.  Just outside the entry gates, this historic location is open to all visitors and does not require aquarium admission to visit.  The fenced gravesite features the headstones of Etheridge and his family, along with a

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North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island | James Melvin Gallery

Richard Etheridge and the great watermen who served with him in the late 1800s at the only all-black lifesaving station on Pea Island are commemorated by African-American artist James Melvin.  Painted in the 1980s, these paintings reside as an exhibit inside the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island.  Access to the exhibit requires aquarium admission.

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