Today, we are at Charles D. McIver Education Center, located at 1401 Summit Avenue at the corner of Textile Drive. McIver Ecuation Center is part of the Guilford County School System and, according to their website, serves students from age 5-22 with moderate to several developmental delays, autism, and other educational needs. Our local system is just digging out from four snow days. Today, students, teachers, and staff, at McIver included, will be readjusting to the faster-paced, and more-structured schedule of being back in school.
In earlier years, the above facility was built as Proximity Public School for children of the local textile mill community of which Proximity Manufacturing Mill was a part. Proximity was the first mill of the Cone Brothers and, the school was in close proximity to the mill as the Cone family valued education. According to local historian, Gayle Hicks Fripp, in her book GREENSBORO NEIGHBORHOODS, Volume II, this building was constructed in 1928 and the architect was Charles C. Hartman. As Frick points out, noteworthy is the brick and stone checker motif on the wings.
Also nearby is Proximity United Methodist Church. For sure, when Proximity was Proximity Public School, many students lived close enough to this neighborhood school that they could go home for lunch. Still chiseled on the header, at the center of the school, are the words, "PROXIMITY PUBLIC SCHOOL."
For Facebook users, Proximity School has started a community page, although it doesn't appear to have been discovered yet. If you attended Proximity Public School check the page out. This post is part of our 2011 Skywatch Friday series where we show a slice of the sky above Greensboro whether is vibrant blue, dull gray, or anything in between.
That checker 'curtain' motif is indeed unusual.
I googled 'Proximity' and got lost in the Proximity Hotel!! That is where I want to stay if I ever come to Greensboro.
Posted by: Lesley | Friday, January 14, 2011 at 12:15 PM
The sky is amazing, but the building is quite interesting, with those strange checkered decorations!
Posted by: VP | Friday, January 14, 2011 at 02:49 PM
When I first saw the photo, I thought immediately it was or had been a high school. Looks very much like the old high schools of my youth!
Interesting history! And it looks like a grand old building which is being put to very good use!
Thanks for your nice comments, Jan!
Posted by: Jacob | Friday, January 14, 2011 at 02:57 PM
Being a teacher, I knew this HAD to be a school building just from the thumbnail. The architecture is wonderful and I love all the detail. In Asheville we had some special old school buildings, but here in Lexington, VA, none have the detail of this one. A special picture.
Posted by: [email protected] | Friday, January 14, 2011 at 07:59 PM
The brick and stone checkers make this a special place.
Posted by: Jack | Friday, January 14, 2011 at 10:46 PM
Thank you for the interesting history. Many of the small white houses in the area too were built for Cone employees. Did you know that some Greensboro residents called those who worked in the mills "lint heads"? I suppose it was used because coming out of the mills with flying cotton, there would be lint in the hair of the workers. It doesn't sound very complimentary to me.
Also, Cone was formerly Cohen.
And by the way, Lesley. The Proximity is where I would stay if I didn't live here. It is a lovely, lovely hotel and hopefully a prototype for energy-efficient hotels of the future in NC. I've been there for dinner and music on the patio. Very nice atmosphere.
Posted by: Emily | Sunday, January 16, 2011 at 07:46 PM