Near Apex in Wake County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Friendship School

Est. 1923

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 2, 2023

1. Friendship School Marker

Inscription. J. Rosenwald of Sears and Roebuck ($700), the Black Community ($890) and the State of NC funded the original Friendship School located .3 miles east. During the Jim Crow Era, the Rosenwald Fund helped build 5,300 schools from MD to TX from 1913 to 1923. At this time, Black educational funding was ¼ that of Whites. B.T. Washington's Tuskegee Institute contributed the design. Mrs. C.E. Spencer was the main teacher. Inspiring generations of Black youth to pursue an education and obtain a better life, the Friendship School closed in 1954.

Erected by Town of Apex, NC.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Education. In addition, it is included in the Rosenwald Schools series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1923.

Location. 35° 42.118′ N, 78° 54.499′ W. Marker is near Apex, North Carolina, in Wake County. Marker is on Humie Olive Road (State Road 1142) west of Evans Road (State Road 1147), on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7701 Humie Olive Rd, Apex NC 27502, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Apex Elementary (approx. 3.2 miles away); Apex 9/11 Memorial (approx. 3.8 miles away); Joggling Board

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(approx. 3.8 miles away); Apex Union Depot (approx. 3.9 miles away); Apex Town Hall (approx. 3.9 miles away); Leslie-Alford-Mims House (approx. 5.4 miles away); Holly Springs School (approx. 5.4 miles away); Masonic Lodge #115 (approx. 5½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Apex.

Also see . . . The Friendship School. Typically, the cost of erecting a Rosenwald school would be shared by three participating groups and divided as follows: local Black citizens’ gifts—40%; Rosenwald Fund contributions—40%; and, State and local government funding—20%. In the case of the Friendship School, however, the funding ratio was different: $890 in local African American gifts, $700 from the Rosenwald Fund, and $1200 in State funding—for a total of $2790. And local volunteers from the Friendship community built the school. (Wake County Public School System) (Submitted on October 4, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 2, 2023

2. Friendship School Marker

Friendship School image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 2, 2023

3. Friendship School

The former school has been converted into a residence.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 4, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 78 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 4, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.