Sedalia in Guilford County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
A New Life for a Historic Campus
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 18, 2026
1. A New Life for a Historic Campus Marker
In 1971, the Board of Trustees sold the campus to Bennett College in Greensboro. The historically Black, private women's college hoped to use the facility as an eastern campus. That plan never came to fruition, and in 1981 Bennett sold the campus to the Chicago-based American Muslim Mission (AMM), which was founding a new teacher's college. After launching the American Muslim Teacher College (AMTC) and educating a small number of students, the school closed its Sedalia campus in the early 1980s.
From Campus to Historic Site
Palmer alumni from across the state and the country rallied to save the campus, creating the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Memorial Foundation and petitioning the State of North Carolina to preserve the campus as a State Historic Site. Their efforts proved successful, and in 1987 the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum at the Historic Palmer Memorial Institute was founded.
Today the staff of the site strive to preserve the legacy of Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown and the Palmer Memorial Institute, and to tell the story of Black education in the United States. With the help of proud Palmer alumni and their
this page online
Thank you for visiting the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum, and please feel free to stop by the Visitor's Center to learn about upcoming events and more.
[Captions:]
The opening ceremony for the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum took place on November 7, 1987 and featured speakers such as Charlotte Hawkins Sullivan, Dr. Brown's niece.
Another speaker at the event was former Palmer secretary and assistant registrar, Joanne L. Rudd. Mrs. Rudd was also the first Site Manager of the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum.
Erected by NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, North Carolina Historical Sites.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Religion & Religious Structures • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is November 7, 1987.
Location. 36° 4.067′ N, 79° 37.467′ W. Marker is in Sedalia, North Carolina, in Guilford County. It is on Burlington Road (U.S. 70) west of Palmer Farm Road, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6136
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 18, 2026
2. A New Life for a Historic Campus Marker
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Piedmont and specifically in Piedmont Triad. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in 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: Charles W. Eliot & Reynoldsd Halls (a few steps from this marker); The Teachers' Cottages (within shouting distance of this marker); Carrie M. Stone Cottage 1948 (within shouting distance of this marker); Campus Landscape (within shouting distance of this marker); Introduction & Welcome (within shouting distance of this marker); Canary Cottage (within shouting distance of this marker); Votes for Women (within shouting distance of this marker); Meditation Altar (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sedalia.
Other markers no longer nearby. Charles W. Eliot Hall (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Origins of Palmer Memorial Institute (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Canary Cottage (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on January 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 26, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 31 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 26, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
