Mecklenburg County Seeks Buyer for Torrence-Lytle School After $500k Repairs

Mecklenburg County and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission want someone to buy the Torrence-Lytle School complex at 13900 Holbrooks Road in Huntersville. Last year, the county poured $500,000 into fixing up the 1937 building. Workers installed a new roof and repaired the structure.

Officials want a buyer who will keep the site's character intact while helping the community. The property is one of the last structures standing from the county's 1930s push to build high schools for African Americans.

"This is one of the last buildings from the County's 1930s effort to build high schools for African Americans," said Historic Landmarks Department Director Stewart Gray in a Mecklenburg County News Release. "It's important we save this building, because so many others like it have been lost."

The school opened its doors in 1937 as the only public high school for African Americans in northern Mecklenburg County. Originally called the Huntersville Colored School, the seven-room facility served grades 1-11 with 181 students and five teachers.

Three teachers worked with elementary students. Two handled high school classes. An eight-classroom addition and cafeteria went up in 1952, followed by a 12-classroom addition in 1957.

The facility became a hub for Pottstown, the Black neighborhood around the school that dates back to the 1890s. It provided education and gave residents a place to gather.

The school shut down in 1966 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled segregation unconstitutional. The buildings later housed an alternative learning facility, a community recreation center, and warehouse space. The gymnasium became the David B. Waymer Recreation Center.

The property holds both local and national recognition. It has been designated as a local landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.