Caroline Community Center Honors Leaders on Founders Day
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
The Caroline Community Center in Williamston celebrated Founders Day Saturday, with a tribute to those who made the center a hub for community engagement, support, and activity for residents of all ages.
Anderson Mayor Terence Roberts, the keynote speaker, challenged those in attendance to make the most of their time by making a difference.
The Diallo S. Moore Award was presented to Williamston Action Community Club (W.A.C.C.) president Diallo Moore for his dedication and work on behalf of the center. The Theodore “Ted” Mattison Award was given to Mattison family in honor of their patriarch’s efforts in establishing the center. Michael Williams was awarded to Nadine G. Williams Award for his strong support and contributions to the Caroline Center.
The Caroline School, started in 1879 by Forest Washington, and named after his wife Caroline, was the first African-American institution in Williamston.
The building which houses the center began 150 years ago as the Caroline School, a school for black children, the town’s first African-American institution. The school initially operated in "The Hall" on the grounds of New Prospect Missionary Baptist Church and later at Bethel Episcopal Methodist Church before moving to a permanent location, a four-room schoolhouse on West Caroline Street in 1908. When that building was destroyed by fire in 1935, a new school was built at its current location at 1 School Street and opened in1937.
Caroline School served as both an elementary and high school for black students until 1950, when it was a middle school and later an elementary school until it was phased out in the early 1980s.
In 1985, the W.A.C.C., formed by community members from local churches and the neighborhood, acquired the school with the vision of transforming it into a community center. Today, under the leadership of the W.A.C.C., the center is a hub for the Williamston and Anderson County communities, offering a wide range of programs, events, and services for people of all ages and backgrounds.
A recent $150,000 block grant secured by the club with the assistance of Anderson County allowed for some major repairs to the aging structure, including a new roof and other repairs. Additional work is also scheduled to restore the building and make all of it completely usable to the community.
