Reidsville in Rockingham County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
First Public School in N.C.
Photographed By Michael Buckner, November 18, 2022
1. First Public School in N.C. Marker
First free school in the state, established under Common School Law of 1839, opened January 20 1840, in this vicinity.
Erected 1991 by Division of Archives and History. (Marker Number J-94.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Education. A significant historical date for this entry is January 20, 1840.
Location. 36° 18.842′ N, 79° 37.83′ W. Marker is in Reidsville, North Carolina, in Rockingham County. Marker is at the intersection of Barnes Street and Holiday Loop Road, on the right when traveling north on Barnes Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3840 NC-87, Reidsville NC 27320, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Alfred M. Scales (approx. 1.1 miles away); Governor Reid House (approx. 3˝ miles away); First Baptist Church (approx. 3˝ miles away); Piedmont Railroad (approx. 3.6 miles away); Saint Paul United Methodist Church (approx. 3.6 miles away); David S. Reid (approx. 3.6 miles away); Booker T. Washington High School (approx. 4 miles away); Lenox Castle (approx. 4.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Reidsville.
Also see . . . Launch of Public Schools in North Carolina, 1840. North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources website entry:
On January 20, 1840, North Carolina’s first public(Submitted on November 27, 2022, by Michael Buckner of Durham, North Carolina.)school opened in Rockingham County.
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The Common Law of 1839 authorized counties to hold elections in which voters might vote for or against taxes for public schools. During the elections in late 1839, 61 of the 68 counties that were then in existence voted to support school taxes. The remaining seven counties soon followed course. By 1846 every county had at least one public school.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 22, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 24, 2022, by Michael Buckner of Durham, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 157 times since then and 41 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on November 24, 2022, by Michael Buckner of Durham, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
