For restoration of Wakelon School, built in 1909. Decommissioned by the school system in 1985, the stately Italianate building once again serves the community as a town hall following renovation by the town.
About the Award
Each year, Preservation North Carolina presents the Gertrude S. Carraway Awards of Merit to individuals and organizations that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to promoting historic preservation.
The awards have been given since 1975 and are named for the late Dr. Gertrude Carraway of New Bern, a leader in the successful effort to reconstruct the state's colonial capitol, Tryon Palace, in New Bern.
Wakelon School was constructed in 1909 to serve the needs of the communities of Wakefield and Zebulon. At the time, it was one of the most elaborate structures in largely rural eastern Wake County.
Designed by German-born architect Charles E. Hartge, the stately Italianate building is accentuated by eclectic details and has an impressive front lawn.
To accommodate the community’s educational needs through the years, the original building was enlarged and additional structures were added to the site. The school served students until 1985, when it was closed during a county school system consolidation process.
At that time, Glaxo, later known as Glaxo Smith Kline, purchased the old school for an expansion of its pharmaceutical operation. While adapting the interior to its own needs, the company fully restored the building’s exterior.
In 2005, after Glaxo underwent its own consolidation, the pharmaceutical company offered to sell the school to the city of Zebulon at a below-market price to serve as a new municipal complex for the community.
Put to a vote by the citizens, bond issues to finance renovation of the old school were given approval. Today, the building is known as the Zebulon Municipal Complex and serves the community as a Town Hall.
Again it is frequented by area residents — with the interior’s dark stained wood, exposed brick and original railings serving as reminders of the building’s origins and its ongoing centrality to the community that surrounds it.
