Cleveland Community Day Historic Tours

Community Day includes Historic Tours of two landmarks in the Town of Cleveland:
R. A. Clement School, 216 Krider Street, Cleveland NC (11:00am-1:00pm). Guided Tours are every 30 minutes (11:00am, 11:30am, noon and 12:30pm).

The Rosenwald School program was lauded as one of the most transformative developments in the first half of the 20th Century in America. Originally, there were 5,000 Rosenwald Schools in the US, now only 500 remain. In 2022, The National Trust for Historic Preservation Placed Rosenwald Schools on its “11 Most Endangered Historic Places,” only 10% are estimated to survive.

In May of 2025, our preservation committee learned that R.A. Clement School is the only remaining Plan No. 4-A. Type Rosenwald School in North Carolina. Come Tour this Town and State Treasure that provides 4,000 sq. ft. of an Event Center Space, a Prep Kitchen, Memorabilia Room, a Library, and two former classrooms that can serve as offices. During your guided tour, you will see the windows project underway following the Department of Interiors Standards.

Rosenwald Schools were intentionally designed with large and ample windows to provide natural light and ventilation, creating a more pleasant and conducive learning environment and to reflect the progressive ideals of the Rosenwald School Building Program Architecture. R.A. Clement School was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.

The Guided Tours will be provided by Leonard Hall, Alumni of the School and Co-President of the School. He will share the past, present and future revitalization project underway and ways that you can be part of this vital project.

Historic Tours of Christ Episcopal Church, 3430 Old US HWY, Cleveland, NC. Tours from 1:00-3:00pm). Guided Tours are every 30 minutes (1:00pm, 1:30pm, 2:00pm and 2:30pm)

Christ Episcopal Church is a 231-year Historic Landmark located on 10.09 lush acres in the Town of Cleveland and served generations of families and visitors. Christ Episcopal Church is the oldest building dedicated to the Episcopal denomination in Rowan County. Christ Church Campus includes a 1826-1827 gable-front vernacular Gothic Revival Church, an American Craftsman-Style Parish Hall is attached to the original building by an open brick arcaded breezeway, a Historic Cemetery and an Outdoor Recreation Pavilion. Christ Episcopal Church was added to the Register of Historic Places in 2011.
The Guided Tour will be provided by Trudi Hall, member of Christ Episcopal Church. The Guided Tour will be of the Church Campus and newly revitalized Nancy Brandon Thompson Memorial Parish Hall (Thompson Hall). In 2022, Engineers and Historic Builders identified Thompson Hall as structurally compromised. Over the past few years, our revitalization team has worked to preserve Thompson Hall with original charm following the Department of Interiors Standards.

Come enjoy a guided Tours of Historic R.A. Clement School and Christ Episcopal Church Campus to see the revitalization efforts underway and plans to repurpose the much-needed community spaces, steeped in history with new functionality.