Wilmington in New Hanover County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Williston High School

1953

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 23, 2024

1. Williston High School Marker

Inscription. Begun in 1865 by the Freedmen's Bureau as an elementary school for Blacks; then operated by the American Missionary Association and named for Massachusetts benefactor Samuel Williston. It became the city's first public school for Blacks when purchased in 1873 by the board of education. Vocational curriculum added in 1915 when a larger school was constructed on this site. A new high school built in 1931 burned five years later. The 1938 replacement school was designed by architect Leslie N. Boney and built by contractor U.A. Underwood. That building became Gregory Elementary when the modern high school was constructed here in 1953. Williston, the premier secondary educational institution for Blacks, ceased to function as a high school in 1968, a result of desegregation.

Erected by Historic Wilmington Foundation, Inc.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Education. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and the North Carolina, Historic Wilmington Foundation series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1865.

Location. 34° 13.866′ N,

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77° 56.146′ W. Marker is in Wilmington, North Carolina, in New Hanover County. It is on South 10th Street 0.1 miles south of Ann Street, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 401 S 10th St, Wilmington NC 28401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Coastal Plain and on the Cape Fear Coast.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Community Boys Club, Inc. (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); World War II German Prisoner of War Main Camp (about 600 feet away); New Community Hospital and School of Nursing (about

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 23, 2024

2. Williston High School Marker

600 feet away); Community Hospital (approx. 0.2 miles away); William M. Creasy House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Carmichael House (approx. ¼ mile away); James J. Allen House (approx. ¼ mile away); Farrior-Taylor House (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wilmington.

Also see . . .
1. The Greatest School Under the Sun. After the students at Williston Senior High School on the city’s south side were dismissed in the summer of 1968, they did not return. Instead, they would go down in history as the all-black high school’s final junior class. (Pat Bradford, Wrightsville Beach Magazine, July 26, 2023) (Submitted on December 12, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Wilmington Historic District (PDF). National Register of Historic Places nomination for the district, which includes the school campus and was listed in 1974. (Prepared by Survey and Planning Unit, North Carolina Division of Archives and History; via North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office) (Submitted on December 14, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

3. Wilmington Historic District Boundary Expansion and Additional Documentation (PDF).

Williston Senior High School image. Click for full size.

The Willistonian yearbook (1958), Williston Senior High School via Internet Archive (Public Domain), circa 1958

3. Williston Senior High School

National Register nomination that expanded the district in 2003. (Prepared by Sherry Joines Wyatt and L. Robbie King; via North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office) (Submitted on December 14, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 14, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 11, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 318 times since then and 64 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 11, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3. submitted on December 14, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.