The Story

In 1925, the citizens of Zebulon passed a bond for $30,000 to build a new elementary school and to remodel an existing high school. Zebulon Elementary opened on September 13, 1926 and ran continuously until the mid-1970s when it was converted into storage for the school district. In 2010, the Downtown Development Authority purchased it and later transferred ownership to the city. Having served many residents of Pike County over the years, Zebulon Elementary strongly represents the community and its collective history.

The Threat

The city currently owns the school, though immense damage has occurred over the past 25 years as a result of neglect, including a recently collapsed portion of the roof. Vandalism remains a constant threat to the building. Community members fear that the building could be lost soon and local partner groups are rallying to find an adaptive reuse so that the building will once again contribute to the community.