Wilkes County Training School
The Story
The former Wilkes County Training School was established in 1956 as an Equalization School, combining roughly 40 rural African American schools in Wilkes County and teaching first through twelfth grades of African American students. During integration in 1970, the previously segregated white high school was merged onto this campus and the 9th through 12th grades were renamed Washington Wilkes Comprehensive High School.
The Threat
Vacant since 2011, the Training School is a vital resource in telling the local and state history of African American public education. The building suffers from a lack of maintenance and deterioration. Involved residents hope to see Wilkes County Training School restored, used as a new space for the community, and recognized as an important piece of local heritage.
