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

The Campus Arch and the Class of 1909

Photographed by Mark Parker, January 28, 2026

1. The Campus Arch and the Class of 1909 Marker

Inscription.

The Campus Arch and the Class of 1909. . , For a structure carved from heavy granite, the Campus Arch has made many journeys. It was first installed at the "station entrance" to welcome travelers arriving by train. But changing modes of transportation soon the railroad focus feel outdated, so in the 1920s the arch was taken down and kept in storage while road made crews constructed Highway U.S. 1 along the east side of campus. In the 1930s, the arch was moved to its current location as part of a Works Progress Administration project to create a safer railroad crossing by adding a traffic underpass. The semi-circular stone benches were placed on either side to incorporate the new entrance into the existing rock wall., When Wake Forest College moved to Winston-Salem in 1956, the arch was left behind. But that was not the end of its travels. The two center slabs, the one facing the underpass inscribed with "Wake Forest College" and the other facing inward and carved with the names of the Class of 1909, were removed and stored on the grounds of the campus heating plant. In the spring of 1957, the "Wake Forest College" slab appeared on the new campus in Winston-Salem, allegedly transported in secret by James Mackie, son of beloved town physician Dr. George Mackie, along with boyhood friends Murray Greason, Jr., Hubert Jones, Jr., and Bill Goldston., The slab with the names of the 72 members of the Class of 1909 also disappeared from storage and remained missing until 2000, when it was found, broken into pieces, in a field off Jones Dairy Road. At that time the slab was rescued, restored, and given to the Wake Forest College Birthplace Society. It is on exhibit beneath this panel., James McKee Adams - Raleigh, NC . Aubrev Joel Allen - Marlboro, SC . Robert Gibsons - Henderson County, NC . Henry Walter Baldwin, Jr. - Madison, GA . Herbert Wayland Baucom - Apex, NC . Bryan Spivey Basemore - Windsor, NC . Josiah Hill Beach - Lenoir, NC . Charles Thomas Bell - Morehead City, NC . Fleet Tate Bennett - Sampson County, NC . Homer Clingman Benton - Charlotte, NC . Emmett B. Blackmore - Duplin County, NC . Frederick Fernando Brown - Asheville, NC . Archie M. Bynam - Richmond, VA . Norman Thomas Cable - Clayton, NC . John Delormel - Darlington, SC . Elliott Bynam Clark - Weldon, NC Patt Belvin Coggin - Palmerville, NC . Clarence Dixon Creasman - Asheville, NC . Louis Ellsworth Dailey - South Mills, NC . Thomas Mitchell Daniel - Mullins, SC . Henry Clay Dockery, Jr. - Rockingham, NC . Robert Maynard Dunn - Wise, NC . Ralph Harris Ferrell - Raleigh, NC . Albert Haynes Flowers - Robeson County, NC . Rav Funderburk - Monroe, NC . Arthur Raymond Gallimore - Lexington, NC . Laurin Gardner - Darlington, SC . Paul White Gay - Seaboard, NC . Wade Bruce Hampton - Dobson, NC . Leslie Cyrus Hardy - Tucson, AZ . Johnson Jay Hayes - Wilkes County, NC . Oscar Warren Henderson - Baltimore, MD . Ernest Sherwood Hendren - Wilkes County, NC . Hugh Benjamin Hines - Hertford County, NC . William Handy Hipps - Spring Creek, NC . Aurenus Tilden Howard - Sampson County, NC, William Thomas Hurst - Chatham County, NC . Henry B. Ivey - Seven Springs, NC . Charles Jeter Jackson - Pitt County, NC . Hubert Alpheus Jones - Raleigh, NC . John Rufus Jones - Stokes County, NC . Grover Hunter Joyner - Woodland, NC . James Edward Knott - Granville County, NC . Hercules Lee Koontz - Linwood, NC . Frank Warren Kurfees - Statesville, NC . John Eric Lanier - Harnett County, NC . Lavira W. Leggett - Halifax County, NC . Oscar Willie McManus - Chatham County, NC . Robert Leroy McMillan - Scotland County, NC . Burgess P. Marshbanks - Mars Hill, NC . John Santford Martin - Hamptonville, NC . Noah Abraham Melton - Surry County, NC . Allie Dexter Morgan - Wake County, NC . Carl Allanmore Murchison - Louisville, KY, Thomas Homer Olive - Wake County, NC . Rufus Brackin Pearson - Reidsville, NC . Charles McNight Phifer - Statesville, NC . Elias Dodson Poe - Chatham County, NC . Richard Hunter Pope - Corry, PA . Joseph Milton Prevette - Wilkes County, NC . Walter C. Saunders - Monroe, NC . Theophilus Yates Seymour - Wake County, NC . Thomas Christopher Singleton - Henderson, NC . Laddin L. Tilley - Durham, NC . Richard Earl Walker - Salisbury, NC . Norman Reid Webb - Morehead City, NC . Edgar Eugene White - Tavlorsville, NC . Thomas Clarence White - Tavlorsville NC . Buford W. Williams - Columbus, NC . George Lawrence Williamson - Florence, SC. . James Bennett Willis - Marlboro County, SC . Edgar Houston Wrenn - Mount Airy, NC, "It is impossible for us to make known the depths of our love and devotion, and the extent of our loyalty to Wake Forest.... Attribute this gift not to the possibility of our means, but rather to the desires of our hearts." - James McKee Adams, Class President, The arch was presented at graduation on May 21, 1909 , with a dedication speech given by senior class president James McKee Adams of Raleigh. Although the ceremony was supposed to take place outdoors, inclement weather forced the audience to seek shelter inside Wingate Memorial Hall., The idea of an arch to serve as a campus entrance and monument was first suggested by Professor J. B. Carlyle in 1904. The Class of 1909 was assigned the task of implementing the plan. Design and construction was done by Raleigh's W. A. Cooper and Brothers at a cost of about $1.000., The arch created a "gateway of granite" at the campus entrance nearest the train station , a vitally important travel hub for Wake Forest College and the surrounding town., Interestingly, the numbers "19" in the upper left and "09" in the upper right were changed around 1917-1918 to "1834" and "1909". Close examination of the photographs shows the slab was not replaced; the new dates were carved into the stone by turning the "9" into an "8" and adding a "19" to the.""09.", [Captions:] , Wake Forest College in 1950 , Near the Arch , J. L. Peeler, Charlie Williams and Bill Moffitt, The Rock Wall , Dates to 1890 , Constructed by Tom Jeffries, The College Seal also was introduced In 1909, appearing and a campus bulletin before being carved into this lab of the arch., Signage made possible by a grant from The Jandy Ammons Foundation.

For a structure carved from heavy granite, the Campus Arch has made many journeys. It was first installed at the "station entrance" to welcome travelers arriving by train. But changing modes of transportation soon the railroad focus feel outdated, so in the 1920s the arch was taken down and kept in storage while road made crews constructed Highway U.S. 1 along the east side of campus. In the 1930s, the arch was moved to its current location as part of a Works Progress Administration project to create a safer railroad crossing by adding a traffic underpass. The semi-circular stone benches were placed on either side to incorporate the new entrance into the existing rock wall.

When Wake Forest College moved to Winston-Salem in 1956, the arch was left behind. But that was not the end of its travels. The two center slabs—the one facing the underpass inscribed with "Wake Forest College" and the other facing inward and carved with the names of the Class of 1909—were removed and stored on the grounds of the campus heating plant. In the spring of 1957, the "Wake Forest College" slab appeared on the new campus in Winston-Salem—allegedly

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transported in secret by James Mackie, son of beloved town physician Dr. George Mackie, along with boyhood friends Murray Greason, Jr., Hubert Jones, Jr., and Bill Goldston.

The slab with the names of the 72 members of the Class of 1909 also disappeared from storage and remained missing until 2000, when it was found—broken into pieces—in a field off Jones Dairy Road. At that time the slab was rescued, restored, and given to the Wake Forest College Birthplace Society. It is on exhibit beneath this panel.

James McKee Adams - Raleigh, NC • Aubrev Joel Allen - Marlboro, SC • Robert Gibsons - Henderson County, NC • Henry Walter Baldwin, Jr. - Madison, GA • Herbert Wayland Baucom - Apex, NC • Bryan Spivey Basemore - Windsor, NC • Josiah Hill Beach - Lenoir, NC • Charles Thomas Bell - Morehead City, NC • Fleet Tate Bennett - Sampson County, NC • Homer Clingman Benton - Charlotte, NC • Emmett B. Blackmore - Duplin County, NC • Frederick Fernando Brown - Asheville, NC • Archie M. Bynam - Richmond, VA • Norman Thomas Cable - Clayton, NC • John Delormel - Darlington, SC • Elliott Bynam Clark - Weldon, NC Patt Belvin Coggin

Wide view The Campus Arch and the Class of 1909 Marker at the Wake Forest College Historical Museum image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, January 28, 2026

2. Wide view The Campus Arch and the Class of 1909 Marker at the Wake Forest College Historical Museum

- Palmerville, NC • Clarence Dixon Creasman - Asheville, NC • Louis Ellsworth Dailey - South Mills, NC • Thomas Mitchell Daniel - Mullins, SC • Henry Clay Dockery, Jr. - Rockingham, NC • Robert Maynard Dunn - Wise, NC • Ralph Harris Ferrell - Raleigh, NC • Albert Haynes Flowers - Robeson County, NC • Rav Funderburk - Monroe, NC • Arthur Raymond Gallimore - Lexington, NC • Laurin Gardner - Darlington, SC • Paul White Gay - Seaboard, NC • Wade Bruce Hampton - Dobson, NC • Leslie Cyrus Hardy - Tucson, AZ • Johnson Jay Hayes - Wilkes County, NC • Oscar Warren Henderson - Baltimore, MD • Ernest Sherwood Hendren - Wilkes County, NC • Hugh Benjamin Hines - Hertford County, NC • William Handy Hipps - Spring Creek, NC • Aurenus Tilden Howard - Sampson County, NC

William Thomas Hurst - Chatham County, NC • Henry B. Ivey - Seven Springs, NC • Charles Jeter Jackson - Pitt County, NC • Hubert Alpheus Jones - Raleigh, NC • John Rufus Jones - Stokes County, NC • Grover Hunter Joyner - Woodland, NC • James Edward Knott - Granville County, NC • Hercules Lee Koontz - Linwood, NC • Frank Warren Kurfees - Statesville, NC

Granite block of the class of 1909 below The Campus Arch and the Class of 1909 Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, January 28, 2026

3. Granite block of the class of 1909 below The Campus Arch and the Class of 1909 Marker

• John Eric Lanier - Harnett County, NC • Lavira W. Leggett - Halifax County, NC • Oscar Willie McManus - Chatham County, NC • Robert Leroy McMillan - Scotland County, NC • Burgess P. Marshbanks - Mars Hill, NC • John Santford Martin - Hamptonville, NC • Noah Abraham Melton - Surry County, NC • Allie Dexter Morgan - Wake County, NC • Carl Allanmore Murchison - Louisville, KY

Thomas Homer Olive - Wake County, NC • Rufus Brackin Pearson - Reidsville, NC • Charles McNight Phifer - Statesville, NC • Elias Dodson Poe - Chatham County, NC • Richard Hunter Pope - Corry, PA • Joseph Milton Prevette - Wilkes County, NC • Walter C. Saunders - Monroe, NC • Theophilus Yates Seymour - Wake County, NC • Thomas Christopher Singleton - Henderson, NC • Laddin L. Tilley - Durham, NC • Richard Earl Walker - Salisbury, NC • Norman Reid Webb - Morehead City, NC • Edgar Eugene White - Tavlorsville, NC • Thomas Clarence White - Tavlorsville NC • Buford W. Williams - Columbus, NC • George Lawrence Williamson - Florence, SC. • James Bennett Willis - Marlboro County, SC • Edgar Houston Wrenn - Mount Airy, NC

"It is impossible
Photographed by Mark Parker, January 28, 2026

4. West side of the Wake Forest Historical Museum. Marker is to the left
for us to make known the depths of our love and devotion, and the extent of our loyalty to Wake Forest.... Attribute this gift not to the possibility of our means, but rather to the desires of our hearts." - James McKee Adams, Class President

The arch was presented at graduation on May 21, 1909 — with a dedication speech given by senior class president James McKee Adams of Raleigh. Although the ceremony was supposed to take place outdoors, inclement weather forced the audience to seek shelter inside Wingate Memorial Hall.

The idea of an arch to serve as a campus entrance and monument was first suggested by Professor J. B. Carlyle in 1904. The Class of 1909 was assigned the task of implementing the plan. Design and construction was done by Raleigh's W. A. Cooper and Brothers at a cost of about $1.000.

The arch created a "gateway of granite" at the campus entrance nearest the train station — a vitally important travel hub for Wake Forest College and the surrounding town.

Interestingly, the numbers "19" in the upper left and "09" in the upper right were changed around 1917-1918 to "1834" and "1909". Close examination of the

The Campus Arch, now at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, January 28, 2026

5. The Campus Arch, now at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

photographs shows the slab was not replaced; the new dates were carved into the stone by turning the "9" into an "8" and adding a "19" to the.""09."

[Captions:]
Wake Forest College in 1950
Near the Arch
J. L. Peeler, Charlie Williams and Bill Moffitt

The Rock Wall
Dates to 1890
Constructed by Tom Jeffries

The College Seal also was introduced In 1909, appearing and a campus bulletin before being carved into this lab of the arch.

Signage made possible by a grant from The Jandy Ammons Foundation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Landmarks. A significant historical year for this entry is 1909.

Location. 35° 59.061′ N, 78° 30.456′ W. Marker is in Wake Forest, North Carolina, in Wake County. It can be reached from the intersection of North Main Street (Alternate U.S. 1) and East Walnut Avenue, on the right when traveling north. The marker is on the west side of the Wake Forest Historical Museum, facing the Calvin Jones House. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 414 N Main St, Wake Forest NC 27587, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

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this marker is in North Carolina’s Piedmont

and in the Research Triangle.

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: Unearthed and Risen (here, next to this marker); The Calvin Jones House and Plantation (a few steps from this marker); Wake Forest College and Wake Forest University (within shouting distance of this marker); The Railroad and Depot in Wake Forest (within shouting distance of this marker); Wake Forest College and the Old Well (within shouting distance of this marker); The Campus Well (within shouting distance of this marker); Wake Forest College Birthplace (within shouting distance of this marker); C.C. Crittenden (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wake Forest.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 28, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 74 times since then. Last updated on February 2, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 28, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. 5. submitted on February 2, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.