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Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Center celebrates 100 years
Photo by Jonathan E. Coleman
Wesley Seamon, center, talks with people gathered for the 100th anniversary celebration of the opening of Stonewall Jackson School, the first juvenile detention center in the state. Stonewall Jackson welcomed its first students on Jan. 12, 1909.
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Published: December 18, 2009
CONCORD — Several hundred students, staff, family and friends gathered at the Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Center on Tuesday to celebrate the facility's 100th year in operation.
The occasion, which included songs by the students and a video highlighting much of the facility's history, marked not only a milestone for the school, but for juvenile justice across the state.
Established by legislative decree in 1907, Stonewall Jackson was the first juvenile detention facility in North Carolina when it opened its doors to students on Jan. 12, 1909.
"If you look across this campus, you will see a panorama of juvenile justice over the past 100 years," said Wesley Seamon, who served as emcee for the anniversary celebration.
Over the years, the buildings, students and staff have changed, but the mission has remained, said Youth Development Center principal Peter Brown.
"As long as we are guided by what is right in the best interests of the students, we can't go wrong," he said.
Over the years, the school has created many memories, shared by students and staff alike.
Hugerietta Franklin, who was one of the first female staff hired to work with female students at the school, shared a few of hers.
Hired in 1975, Franklin said she remembers the difficulties staff faced when they were responsible for overseeing nearly 30 students each.
"We did not have locks on the doors," Franklin recalled. "The students could run at any time — and they did. It's very hard to stop students from running with only one (supervisor) per house."
Since that time, security measures have improved and the staff-to-student ratio has become more manageable.
Despite the challenges, Franklin said she learned a great deal from her experiences working at the center.
"My days at Stonewall have been rewarding in that I have learned some of life's lessons through the eyes of the students I worked with," she told those gathered for the celebration.
Brown said that a storied history like that at the school should never be taken for granted, but should be used as a reference when making decisions about how to move forward to the next 100 years.
"We all share an inheritance of that great legacy — an inheritance of work," he said. "If you look at history, everybody has a role. We need to look forward and find our role and how to move forward."
About Stonewall Jackson School
Originally slated to be a manual training and industrial school, the center was the vision of Cabarrus County newspaper reporter James Cook.
In 1890, Cook began a campaign to offer an alternative for troubled youth who might otherwise be sent to prison.
His idea caught the attention of the Kings Daughters, a Christian organization that chartered more than 25 chapters across the state around the turn of the century.
In 1902, the group decided to undertake a statewide effort to help establish a training school for young offenders.
Five years later, the legislature apportioned $10,000 for a two-year program. Later that year, citizens in Concord began fundraising in hopes of raising enough money to help locate the school near the town.
Nearly 300 acres were purchased off of present-day Old Charlotte Road and construction began on two cottages in the spring of 1908. The school welcomed its first students on Jan. 12, 2009.
By 1942, the campus included 17 cottages, an administrative building, a gymnasium and several additional buildings used for specific training needs. There was a working farm, a print shop and a dairy on site.
At its peak, the school served nearly 500 youth.
In the 1970s, the student population dwindled as offenders were less likely to be put into the program for delinquency.
• Contact Jonathan E. Coleman: 704-789-9105
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