The Triad Cultural Arts renovation of a historic shotgun house in the Happy Hill neighborhood has received a $75,000 bridge loan from the Winston-Salem Foundation.
The nonprofit Triad Cultural Arts Inc. announced in June 2023 that it is converting the shotgun house into a museum and exhibit space “that celebrates and honors African American culture in Winston-Salem.”
A shotgun house refers to the notion that one could fire a gun through the front entrance of the dwelling and have the round exit through the back without hitting anything.
This investment will also assist in the completion of the Shotgun House legacy site, a multi-phase project that will include a multi-use community center and pavilion.
Restoration of the shotgun houses is projected to be completed in 2025, along with construction of a multi-use center and completion of the legacy site.
Triad Cultural Arts has launched a capital campaign for the project. For more information or to make a contribution, go to shotgunhousews.org.
Abrea Armstrong, executive director of Triad Cultural Arts, said the $75,000 loan “transformed this restoration initiative from a long-held ambition into a concrete plan, turning a 15-year-old dream into a turnkey project.”
“This bridge loan ensures we can start generating income from our heritage tours, allowing us to grow and enhance our impact on equitably preserving and sharing Black history.”
LaTida Smith, the foundation’s president, said the bridge loan “aligns perfectly with the foundation’s mission of fostering inclusive community growth and preserving important cultural narratives.”
“This investment not only honors the historical significance of the Happy Hill neighborhood, but also promotes local economic development.”
In May 2023, Triad Cultural Arts Inc. acquired a 0.27-acre tract at 716 Humphrey St., a 0.21-acre tract at 726 Humphrey St., and a 0.04-acre tract at what is listed as 0 Free St.
The sale represents the latest progression in an eight-year initiative by the nonprofit.
Councilwoman Annette Scippio, whose East Ward contains the Happy Hill neighborhood, said the property sale will allow TCA “to transform the Humphrey Street properties into a cultural center that showcases the history of the Happy Hill community for the enrichment of all residents in Winston-Salem.”
“This will be a lasting treasure within the East Ward.”
Background
The Happy Hill neighborhood was founded in 1872 on the site of what had been a plantation where Moravian doctor Friedrich Schumann lived.
It was the city’s first planned Black neighborhood, and had originally been known as Liberia, named after the West African republic founded by formerly enslaved people.
According to a February 2020 profile in Winston-Salem Monthly, the land “was a flood plain. It had a lot of mosquitos; they had to petition the city to try to get rid of the mosquitoes. You had community leaders rising up to try to get necessities for people.”
Scippio cited three historic activities that occurred on the Humphrey lots. They are:
* The first emancipation of enslaved persons in the local community occurred in 1836 when Salem physician Schumann liberated 17 of his enslaved people and paid their way to Liberia;
* In 1866, the Freedmen’s School for Black children was founded.
* The Salem Congregation deeded land to former enslaved people for the creation of the first owner-occupied Black community.
“In this neighborhood, the seeds of profound actions of liberation, freedom and social equity were planted,” Scippio said.
“Now, 187 years since the liberation of the 17 slaves, we begin an era of profound actions that will rekindle community investment and fortify the spirit of liberty on the sacred soil of Happy Hill.”
The homes
The two homes at Humphrey are rectangular in shape and measure roughly 700 square feet. They have three rooms “stacked back to back” — a living room, bedroom, and kitchen.
One home has experienced noticeable wear, possibly from the move in the early 1990s.
The front porch stoop is missing, as are the supports for the roof over the front door. The roof along the rest of the house is sagging, and the rear room has “suffered from severe water damage,” according to the report.
Of the two houses on the Humphrey Street site, one sits on its original foundation and local preservationists first proposed trying to restore it in 1999.
The other dwelling is believed to have originally been located on Alder Street, but moved in the early 1990s to a site on Humphrey Street where an electrical substation now sits.
“Their intent is to rehabilitate one of the structures for use as museum facility that accommodates various community activities for the benefit of the public,” King said.
“The second structure will be thoughtfully salvaged and the land used for a multi-use center.”
[email protected] 336-727-7376 @rcraverWSJ
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