Washington Magnet Elementary School

Washington Magnet Elementary School is a historic school and building located at Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina. It was built in 1923-1924 to serve African-American students in Raleigh and is now a magnet elementary school.

History
From 1924 until 1953, Washington served as the only secondary education institution for black students in Raleigh. This changed with the establishment of John W. Ligon Junior-Senior High School, which assumed that role.

In 1982, Washington became an elementary school involved with the magnet program and Gifted & Talented curriculum.

Washington was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 as the Washington Graded and High School. In 2003, it received designation as a Local Historic Site by the City of Raleigh's Historic Preservation Association.

Building
Washington Graded and High School was originally constructed in 1923-1924 as part of the city of Raleigh's plans to expand the education system in order to accommodate increasing numbers of school-aged children. The project was funded by a portion of the money from a million dollar bond issued by the school board on April 4, 1922. At the time of its completion in 1924, The original building is a two-story, brick building with Tudor Revival style design elements. A three-story rear addition was built in 1927, a track in 1942, a gymnasium in 1949, and other additions were made in 1996 and 2000. The building was renovated from 2002-2003.

Notable alumni

 * John H. Baker Jr., former NFL defensive lineman and long-time Wake County sheriff
 * Maycie Herrington, history conservator
 * June Kay Campbell, civil rights activist
 * Pee Wee Moore, jazz saxophonist
 * Millie Dunn Veasey, civil rights activist and United States Army veteran

Notable faculty

 * John W. Ligon, interim principal which John W. Ligon Middle School was named after