Marvin Tupper Jones
May 1, 2026
School is still serving its Community for over 100 years.
In April, 2026, we unveiled a new historical marker for the 125 year-old Potecasi Graded School. This historic four-classroom Rosenwald School is one of 5,357 Black schools, shops, and teacher homes constructed between 1917 and 1932 in the United States. Booker T. Washington of the Tuskegee Institute and Julius Rosenwald, philanthropist and president of Sears Roebuck helped build new schoolhouses for African American children across the South. Their effort has been called the most important initiative to advance Black education in the early 20th century.
While 10–12 percent of the Rosenwald school buildings are estimated to survive today, Potecasi Graded School has been serving the community for over 100 years.
Lamar E. Deloatch, a former student of the school, and Marvin Tupper Jones of the Chowan Discovery Group are the nominators for the marker. It is provided by a grant from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation as part of its Hometown Heritage Marker Grant Program. The Chowan Discovery Group has previously erected 18 historical markers and plaques in North Carolina. The schoolhouse is located at 611 Griffintown Road, Potecasi, NC.
Photo: Marker with the Potecasi community, including former students. Lamar E. Deloatch is on the right.