Charlotte Hawkins Brown Gravesite & Memorial

Charlotte Hawkins Brown Gravesite and Memorial. . , Born in Henderson, North Carolina, Charlotte Hawkins Brown's family moved north when she was young. She was only 19 when she moved back to North Carolina and founded the Palmer Memorial Institute. For the rest of her life, she worked tirelessly to sustain and grow the school., Her determination, vision, and exemplary fundraising skills made Palmer a school of distinction., Dr. Brown's work expanded beyond the campus of Palmer. She advocated for a public school in Sedalia to serve the predominantly Black community and was glad to see the Sedalia Public School, now Sedalia Elementary School, open next to Palmer in 1935., She was also an early Civil Rights leader and suffragist: she lectured around the country, served as the Vice President of the National Council of Negro Women's Clubs, was the first African American elected to the national board of the YWCA, and founded the N.C. Federation of Negro Women's Clubs., Final Years , After years of struggling with dementia and declining health, Dr. Brown passed away on January 11, 1961. Her funeral in the Alice Freeman Palmer Building was attended by hundreds of mourners who were touched in some way by her extraordinary life and work. Dr. Brown requested in her will to be buried on campus. Her gravesite was selected for its location between her longtime Canary Cottage and her office in the Alice Freeman Palmer Building.