The Last Rosenwald School Of Burke County North Carolina An Historic Gem Recognized

This was the first publication to present the Rosenwald Schools of Burke County, NC. With five schools built, Burke County was a full participant in the historic Rosenwald Movement that improved so many lives, families and communities across the South. The historic Rosenwald (Canal) School still stands in Lake James’ Bridgewater community, west of Morganton. A legacy of the Corpening family of pioneer educators that served Burke for over 25 years, it is the last surviving complete structure to represent Burke's early African-American schools. The discovery of an extant Rosenwald school provides an opportunity to document, or preserve, a structure representing the educational achievements of early African-American citizens. (In 2015, this work received an Award of Excellence from the North Carolina Society of Historians. In 2016, the Burke County Commissioners installed a permanent exhibit at the History Museum of Burke County to commemorate the county's five Rosenwald schools.)