When the Princeton Graded School opened on West Edwards Street in 1925, it was the first formal school for black children in town.

"It was very important because there were no schools for African-Americans at the turn of the century or post-Civil War era," said Kaye Brimmage, Executive Director of TESS of North Carolina, a non-profit based in Wayne County that plans to restore the building.

The Princeton Graded School and more than 5,000 others in the South were financed by philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, the president of Sears, with contributions from the students' parents.

"When Rosenwald started building schools, what they were going into was very ramshackle buildings or getting education with their families," said Angelo Franceschina, who is leading the restoration of the Princeton Graded School.

Black children studied at the Princeton school for more than 40 years, until the courts desegregated the school system. Black students were then moved to white schools.

The building sat vacant. Then it became a child care center and a church.

When TESS of North Carolina started looking for a building to expand, it thought of the Princeton school.

"We like the historic nature of it. A school built for African-American children. TESS of North Carolina works with children who are at risk," Brimmage said.

The group bought the building last year. It plans to create a safe place for children to go after school.

"We are not looking to duplicate anything that is already here," Brimmage said. "We're looking to be able to offer community services and human services out of this facility that are not offered in Princeton."

Brimmage doesn't know exactly when the center will open. TESS is still seeking grants and private donations to fund construction.

Click here for more information about the organization.