Photo Archive

The following photographs represent the visual history that remains of Princeville Graded School—its building, its records, and the personal legacies of the educators who served there. These images complement the research presented in Angels at the Blackboard.

The School

: Seven Steps to the Golden Doors of the Future

: Classroom of Principal and Second-Grade Teacher, Mary Ward Matthewson

: Miss Fannie Bridgers’ First-Grade Classroom

: Mrs. Margarette Bullock Purvis’s Third-Grade Classroom

: Fourth-Grade Classroom of Mrs. Pearl Ward Bennett

: Princeville Graded School Sanborn Map, September 1923

Archival Documents

: From Tarborough Southerner (Tarboro, North Carolina) Thu, Feb. 16, 1882, Page 3.

: A very short screenshot of the original beginning “Minutes from the Tarboro City School Board, June 14, 1892.”

: Railroad Bridge Over Tar River Goes Down. The Western Sentinel (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), Fri, Aug 1, 1919, Page 1.

: From The Gazette (Raleigh, North Carolina) Sat, Feb 5, 1898, Page 3.

: The next four slides are the Principal’s Annual Report for 1933-1934.

: Notice that under Principal George L. Harper’s 1933-1934 supervision, Princeville School went up to sixth-grade. Also notice his ten-member teaching staff, which included his wife, Mrs. Esther M. Harper, former principal, Professor Walter A. Pattillo’s wife, Mrs. S. Jeanette Pattillo, and future Princeville School principal, Miss Helen A. Walston.

Community and Educator Legacy

: The Princeville Senior Center offers education, fitness, and activities. Notice the building’s height above ground, which helps protect against recurring flood waters.

: Historic monument in front of Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist Church in Princeville honors Reverend Abraham Wooten.

: Mrs. Elizabeth Hedgepeth: A sweet and kind human being; a credit to her profession; a gift to Princeville School.

: Victor E. Howard, unsung but not forgotten. One of the earliest, longest, and most dedicated educators at Princeville Graded School.

: Margarette Purvis Powell. Mrs. Purvis still living in her childhood home on Howard Street in Princeville.

On the website:

About the Author

Saundra Stanley is a researcher and writer dedicated to restoring the stories of the educators who shaped Princeville Graded School. Her work brings forward the names, lives, and legacies of the teachers who served generations of Black students in Princeville, North Carolina.

Contact

Direct your questions, comments, requests for interviews, or speaking inquiries to: pes.research01@gmail.com

Project Credits: Research by Saundra Stanley. Historical materials courtesy of families, archives, and community members. Website curated as part of the Princeville Graded School History Project.

Share Your Memories

Did you or a family member attend Princeville Graded School? We’d love to hear from you. If you have photos, stories, or memories of its teachers, classrooms, or community events, please consider sharing them with us. Your contributions help preserve the legacy of Princeville Graded School for future generations.

With gratitude to the families, alumni, and community members who preserve this legacy.