The Panther Branch Rosenwald School was constructed in 1925 with money from the Rosenwald Fund. The Rosenwald Fund had been established by Julius Rosenwald, the President of Sears, Roebuck, & Co. – inspired by the work of Booker T. Washington – to help build 5,357 schools with their supporting structures for African Americans in the rural South between 1917 and 1932. In August 1925 the Wake County Board of Education voted to purchase land for a new Three-Teacher Community School. The school opened in the fall of 1926 and continued in operation for the next thirty years.
The Juniper Level Missionary Baptist Church purchased the property in 1959, using the building as a meeting hall and social center through the 1980s. The school eventually fell into disrepair but a concerted effort to restore the historic building began in 2001 after the property was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. A group of Panther Branch alumni came together and the JLBC Community Alliance, Inc. was formed, incorporating in 2005 as a 501(c)(3) Private Non-Profit Corporation. After many years of fundraising and awareness-raising events, the Alliance was able in 2009 to begin initial planning on the phased project. The Wake County Historic Preservation Commission designated the building as a Wake County Historic Landmark in 2013; and, after the Alliance received a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Maurer Architecture began planning the restoration of the building.
The community rallied around the project, with local stakeholders participating in the hands-on work of paint scraping and sanding, replacing damaged wood siding and trim, and tending to the grounds of the school including a cemetery that was in use until the 1970s. New, historically-accurate double-hung wood windows were installed where smaller openings had been boarded for many years, and the building’s exterior was painted. A new wood, double-leaf entry door with transom surround was also installed, based on historic photographic documentation. With this phase of work completed, Lysaght Engineers led the structural stabilization effort. The building was lifted off its original pier foundation, and a new concrete block curtain wall was built around the perimeter of the structure. The original damaged floor structure was repaired and reinforced.
A floor plan sensitive to the original Rosenwald School design was developed to meet the needs of the community today. Original finishes were left intact where possible, and many of the existing historic doors, breeze windows and hardware remain. The new floor plan retained many existing walls and spaces while introducing new ADA bathrooms and a handicap ramp in the rear of the building, making it accessible to all.
After many years of hard work, dedication and perseverance, the Panther Branch Rosenwald School restoration was completed in 2022. Since the school has opened, a Meals-on-Wheels Friendship Cafe is being established on site, providing a space for seniors to dine, play games and socialize with friends. An after-school program and a summer camp program are currently in operation at the school, as well as a community garden. The building remains a source of pride for Juniper Level Missionary Baptist Church, for the African American community, and for the Panther Branch community at large.
The Board of Directors of Capital Area Preservation, Inc. is pleased to present a 2022 Anthemion Award to Juniper Level Missionary Baptist Church; JLBC Community Alliance, Inc.; Maurer Architecture; Coaly Design; Atlantec Engineers, PA; Lysaght & Associates, PA; Squared Corners Construction, LLC for the Commercial Rehabilitation & Adaptive Reuse of the Panther Branch Rosenwald School, 9109 Sauls Road, Raleigh.