Southern Pines School Among NC Additions to National Register Of Historic Places

A school in Southern Pines has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, joining nine other North Carolina locations as recent additions to the list.

Every North Carolinian knows that the Tar Heel state is home to many historically significant locations. Now 10 more of those locations are getting the love and reverence they deserve. The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources announced that 10 places throughout North Carolina have been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

West Southern Pines School in Moore County was a Rosenwald School constructed in 1925. Nearly 5,000 Rosenwald Schools were built around the south, primarily to provide educational opportunities for African American children. The first building at the Southern Pines campus no longer exists, but the campus later grew to 11 buildings. More on that below.

The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of locations throughout America that are believed to be worthy of preservation. The register includes historic buildings, structures, objects, sites, and even entire districts.

For locations in North Carolina to be added to the official Register, they must pass certain criteria including:

According to a news release, 10 different properties were extensively reviewed by the North Carolina National Registry Advisory Committee. After a lengthy process, the locations were finally approved for listing in the National Register.

Secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Reid Wilson shared excitement toward the new Registry additions in a recent statement. "Preserving our past is essential to understanding our present and shaping our future," said Wilson, "the latest North Carolina additions to the National Register of Historic Places reflect our unwavering commitment to honoring our heritage. Each commemorated location enriches our collective narrative, bolsters local economies, and celebrates the diverse tapestry of our state's history and culture."

Here are the 10 newest North Carolina-based additions to the National Register of Historic Places, including the Southern Pines Rosenwald School.

It sadly may not come as much of a surprise, but a recent study says that Robeson County and Columbus County in North Carolina, are among the most dangerous in the United States for drivers.

A personal injury attorney firm in Florida, Anijar & Levine, did the study. They looked at the number of deaths caused by car accidents from 2018 to 2021, with data compiled from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Only counties with 50,000 or more people were analyzed for the study, and it came with some sad results.

Most notably, the data showed that Robeson County had the highest number of total car accident deaths during the four-year period. There were 263 people killed in Robeson County during that time period.

"This data shows us the counties with the highest number of deaths caused by car crashes over four years. Arizona has the most number of counties featured in the top 10, with Apache, Gila and Navajo all included. States such as Virginia, Tennessee, and Nevada only have one county featured in the top 50," Anijar & Levine said in a news release. "There are many reasons as to why car crashes happen, whether that be the fault of an individual or weather conditions. Ultimately, this analysis demonstrates that it is essential to take road safety seriously and drive carefully, no matter where there are."

Robeson County came in at third overall in number of car crash fatalities per 10,000 people, while Columbus County came in sixth, with 21.14 per 10,000. Two counties from South Carolina also unfortunately landed in the Top 10, with Orangeburg County at second, and Laurens County at ninth.

Outside of the top 10, Pender County in North Carolina was 18th at 15.61, Sampson County was 33rd at 13.89, Granville County was 38th at 13.44, Lenoir County was 39th at 13.42 and Nash County came in at 50th with 13.06.

Let's take a look at the Top 10 counties in the United States that are the most dangerous for drivers.

Apache County in Northeast Arizona has only 66,024 people, but had 155 people killed in car crashes during the time period. That's 23.48 per 10,000.

The small county south of Columbia has 84,225 people, and saw 194 deaths in the four years. That's 23.03 per 10,000 people.

The county in our region with Lumberton in it has 116,516 people. And had more people killed in car crashes during the time period than anywhere else in the country, and had 22.57 per 10,000 people.

While a small county, with just 53,273 people, the Gila area is near the major Phoenix metro. There were 21.96 deaths per 10,000 people.

The county in central Florida has just 73,327 people, but is a major gateway between major cities. There were 21.14 deaths per 10,000 people.

Just down the road, the county with Whiteville in it is also a pass-through to the beach areas. So while it has a small population of just 50,625 there were 21.14 deaths per 10,000 people.

A small county in western New Mexico, it does happen to border the Arizona county that topped the list. There were 20.85 deaths per 10,000.

Another rural county in Arizona, but it does 106,716 people in it. The county saw 213 deaths, which was 19.96 per 10,000 people.

While not a big county, Laurens County is a passthrough between Greenville and Columbia and saw 18.95 car crash deaths per 10,000 people.

The county between Destin and Panama Beach sees a lot of visiting traffic, and that's probably why it had 17.53 deaths per 10,000 people.