Founded in 1889 by Dr. George C. Shaw, Mary Potter Academy was originally established as a boarding school for African American students during the height of Jim Crow and segregation. With only three buildings on-campus buildings still standing, including a 90-year old wood-framed Industrial Arts building and Gymnasium building, revitalization of the campus will allow the former center of academic excellence to once again become a beacon in the community.
As part of the new Mary Potter Cultural Complex, the former Industrial Arts building, currently listed on the North Carolina Historic Registry, will be revitalized to serve as a conference center. The former Gymnasium building will become the Mary E. Shaw Cultural Center, and a farmer’s market will serve as a gathering place for the community.
MMSA, Inc. is honored to provide structural engineering design for this project effort.
The Progressive Architecture Award-winning project is featured in ARCHITECT magazine.