"Former Sanford mayor Tommy C. Mann Sr. received a statewide award recently for his “vision, hard work and dedication” on behalf of the restoration and reuse of the former Sanford High School.

The Gertrude S. Carraway Award was presented to Mann by Preservation North Carolina President Myrick Howard during the organization’s annual conference in New Bern Oct. 31.

“In 1975, the school bell at Sanford High rang for the last time, and many feared the aging structure would be a target for the wrecking ball,” Howard noted during the award presentation. “However, the old school still had life in it, a fact that several far-sighted local residents recognized."

The Sanford Herald (11/15/09) 

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Click here for more on Preservation NC's annual awards and a full list of winners.