Old Rock School celebrates 100 years in downtown Valdese

The Old Rock School in Valdese is celebrating its 100th birthday in 2023,

What began as the very first significant educational building in Valdese, today sits proudly along Main Street — not only as an iconic mark of the town, but as a multi-purpose facility hosting countless events each year.

Once a hub of learning for students of all ages, the building is now recognized on the National Registry of Historic Places with an impressive resume of events.

The auditorium stage has seen several legendary bluegrass talents, such as Alison Krauss and Doyle Lawson. The ground floor of the school is home to one of the largest indoor train displays in the state, the Piedmont & Western Railroad Museum.

Local artists have been featured in the galleries of the Rock School Arts Foundation and many a show tune has been performed on stage by the community theater group, the Old Colony Players.

The community has gathered at the facility to celebrate life’s most cherished events: graduations, baby showers, and weddings. The historic Old Rock School looks back on a century of memories in 2023, to be honored through celebratory art, tributes and special events throughout the year. 

A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE  

Highly valuing education, the Waldenses began establishing school houses just a few years after their settlement in Burke County.

The colony made use of multi-purpose structures and one-room school houses, until establishing a larger, two-room structure funded partially with funds from the county as well as funds collected by the Waldenses.

It was soon realized that the emergent community would outgrow even this facility, and in 1917 the residents of Valdese took action by voting for a building tax to be assessed with the plans of establishing a new school.

At a rate of $.30 per $100, the funds were given to the county for a building fund. The special election of 1921 passed a bond of $25,000 under the leadership of the local school committee consisting of Francis Garrou, J.M. Brinkley, L.P. Guigou, and Antoine Grill.

The Burke County Board of Elections assisted the endeavor, assisting with the acquisition of a four-acre site from Peter and Albert Tron. The project was commissioned to the design of Hickory architect Quince Edward Herman, the influence of traditional Waldensian masonry apparent in the selection of native stone. 

Construction began in 1921 after the heavily-wooded site was cleared and developed by John Garrou. Several members of the Waldensian community assisted in hauling much of the structure rock from the property of John Barus.

Local masons worked on the building under the supervision of Antoine Grill at the rate $.30 an hour and carpenters were led by Mr. James Powell. The laying of the cornerstone was celebrated July 4, 1922. Large crowds gathered for a ceremony and parade, led by the mayor of Valdese, John Long.

A local marching band performed and various businesses and organizations joined the lineup with colorful floats. Speeches were delivered by local dignitaries and school children performed multiple songs in French, English, and Italian.

The construction of the “Rock School” was completed in October of 1923, delaying the Fall term by 30 days. The cost of the entire project was estimated at $75,000, from the purchase of the land to the furnishings. A gymnasium was later constructed to the west of the building in 1934. 

G.M. Mosier served as the school’s first principal, followed by Carl C. Long, who served as such from Fall 1924 until 1939. Fundraising for the school was executed by the Parent Teachers Association, founded in 1921.

The group was instrumental in sponsoring numerous events to appropriate funds for the school not provided by the county. The funds were used to purchase books, stage props, maps, musical instruments, even playground and athletic equipment.

The school was used for all grade levels, eventually incorporating high school students from Icard, Rutherford College, and Connelly Springs. The rapidly growing population of students continued, eventually leading to the construction of the Francis Garrou High School in 1938.

The Rock School served as the first substantial educational facility in Valdese, highlighting the educational priority valued by the Waldensian culture.

RENOVATIONS AND TOWN OPERATIONS

The Rock School remained in use as an educational facility until the late 1970s, until high maintenance costs drove the Burke County Board of Education to close the facility.

Multiple options for continued use of the historic building were considered, including a proposed project from the Historic Valdese Foundation to convert the facility into housing options and office spaces.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The ultimate fate was decided when the Town of Valdese purchased the school for $1.00 and began renovations on the building to be used as a multi-purpose facility in 1986.

This transition and the first years of opening unfortunately coincided with notable tragic events in local history.

The Old Rock School’s first director, Chuck Moseley,  remembers standing on the steps of the school and watching the Mineral Springs Mountain wildfire of 1985 burn across I-40, which destroyed some 26 homes in the community.

The school was also utilized as a one-night shelter in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo, which ravaged the area in 1989.

Operation of the Old Rock School fell under management of Chuck Moseley after accepting the role of the Valdese Community Affairs Director in 1985, who remembers this time as some of the best years of his life.

“It was great to feel like you were contributing to the cause, to help bring people in and find something different and new. It was both a joy and a challenge,” he states.

Moseley served until 2007 and played a vital role in establishing the school as an asset to the community, as well as the legacy of entertainment the school is still known for today.

Starting what is now known as “Bluegrass at the Rock”, Moseley remembers taking on the project in the mid-1990s from WNCW Radio. “We started as ‘Concerts at the Rock,’ featuring various types of entertainment, but really found our crowd with the focus on bluegrass.” 

Bluegrass at the Rock has grown into one of the most popular programs born at the Old Rock School, with recent seasons averaging 80 season ticket holders.

The incorporation of the community theater group, Old Colony Players is also the work of Moseley, who considers their stage productions as a significant part of the Old Rock School’s history.

Furthermore, Moseley brought in several businesses to the building, in addition to Gardner Webb University, who offered off campus education at the Old Rock School for twenty years. 

Robert Heilman, the longest working employee of the Old Rock School, has served since August of 1986 and describes the historical building as “the centerpiece of activity for the town.”

Heilman retired from a full time role as Events and Facilities Supervisor in 2022, but remains on staff as a part time employee. With 36 years of employment under his belt, Heilman looks back fondly on the memories of legendary music that has echoed throughout the school over the years, in addition to the lasting friendships made.   

THE ROCK SCHOOL TODAY

Over 100 years since that first cornerstone was laid, the Old Rock School is home today to nine various organizations, businesses, and nonprofits, including the Valdese Community Affairs office and visitor center.

The school maintains a full event calendar and averages two events per day, from national beauty pageants to line dancing classes.

Town-sponsored events frequently are hosted at the venue, including two annual craft markets, concerts, scavenger hunts, art competitions, theatre productions, several Christmas events, and most recently, the first Valdese plein air art reception, “Paint the Park.”

The iconic staircase leading to the building’s main entrance is often utilized to commemorate special holidays, such as “Light It Up Green” for Veteran’s Day or luminaries of red, white, and blue for Memorial Day.

The iconic reputation of the historic Old Rock School has evolved over the past century into a multi-faceted hub of entertainment, celebrations, and the arts.  

The Old Rock School’s current director Morrissa Angi looks ahead to the Old Rock School’s future, while maintaining her goal to preserve the iconic nature of the building and its cultural significance to the Valdese community.

Angi was instrumental in the recent grant awards through the Rural Transformation Fund and Appalachian Regional Commission in 2022 and she has substantial goals for renovating the historic building.

 “I look forward to modernizing the technology offered in our rental spaces and further establishing the building as a resource for business development.” Having served as director since 2016, Angi also highly regards the building as an outlet for various forms of the arts, and hopes for this aspect to continue to grow.

Additionally, plans for the grants’ funding include making the building more ADA accessible and expanding upper level public restrooms and office spaces.  

100th BIRTHDAY

The Old Rock School staff plans to celebrate the 100th birthday of the building throughout 2023.

The first means of commemoration came in the form of a 6 ft. metal art installation on the Old Rock School front lawn. Crafted by local sustainable artist, Sam’s Recycled Art of Valdese, the piece will remain in front of the Old Rock School for the remainder of the year and will serve as the subject for the “1 in 100 Photo Contest.”

Members of the community are encouraged to take a photo with the sculpture and submit it to the Town of Valdese Facebook page or email to mangi@valdesenc,gov. The more creative the better…pose with the giant numbers in prom attire, with your pets, in costume…even with your wedding party!

Whatever participants decide, be sure to make it unique, as the standout entry will win a cash prize of $500!  Submissions will be accepted through December 1st and the winner will be announced on the Town of Valdese Facebook page.

A special edition “100 Year” t-shirt will soon be available for purchase at the Old Rock School tourism office. The staff of the Old Rock School have additional plans for the school’s birthday celebration throughout the year, to be announced in the coming months.

Morrissa Angi feels honored to be serving as director during this special milestone.  “I’m very proud to be involved with the celebration, 100 years in the making.” she states. “I hope the Old Rock School will continue to provide entertainment for the community for decades to come.” 

For more information on the Old Rock School’s history and a full calendar of upcoming events, please go to visitvaldese.com or follow the Town of Valdese and Old Rock School Facebook pages. Information regarding facility rentals can be accessed via the website or by calling 828-874-6774. The Old Rock School tourism office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.