November 14th, 2026

Allen's Chapel Baptist Church
5630 Ridgeville Road
Prospect Hill, NC 27314

The public is invited to attend Preservation Caswell's second quarterly History Exchange of 2026!

History Exchanges are informal, relaxed gatherings held throughout the year at historic properties across Caswell County. These events provide an opportunity for people to come together and share their interests in local history, genealogy, heritage, architecture, and historic preservation. Participants are encouraged to bring topics of their own choosing while enjoying fellowship and conversation with friends, neighbors, and others who appreciate Caswell County's rich history.

Our November History Exchange will feature a tour and historical presentation on the historic Leasburg Branch One-Room Schoolhouse, formerly known as the Lambeth Hill One-Room Schoolhouse that was formerly located and moved from Leasburg. This endangered historic property is one that Preservation Caswell hopes to help save through organized preservation and restoration efforts.

The schoolhouse is particularly significant as one of the few pre-Rosenwald-era schoolhouses remaining in Caswell County. It is also unique in that the property served two separate communities, including both white and African American students, at different periods in its history.

The site has an extraordinary history dating back to the Reconstruction era, when free African Americans Samuel and Abi Allen organized Caswell County's first school for Black children in 1868. Samuel Allen's legacy helped inspire the formation of Allen's Chapel Baptist Church, which bears his name and was first organized within the original schoolhouse that once stood on this site. The property also served as a meeting place for an early chapter of the Union League, a Prince Hall Masonic Lodge, and a local chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, the latter two of which continue to meet in the building now on the site.

We hope attendees will come away with a greater appreciation for this remarkable property's history and significance and will consider supporting efforts to restore the existing one-room schoolhouse which was first built around 1900. Preserving this site also means protecting and promoting an important part of Caswell County's African American history and heritage.

We also encourage attendees to consider becoming members of Preservation Caswell. Those who have recently joined are especially welcome to use this gathering as an opportunity to meet fellow members and the organization's leadership.

Refreshments will be served. Come on by, enjoy the fellowship, and let's have a good time!

For questions or assistance with directions, please contact us by phone at 828-434-0103 or by email at preservationcaswell@gmail.com

We encourage you to RSVP by submitting the form below.

Date & Time to be Announced by the end of 2026.

Caswell County is home to the Largest Flowering Dogwood in the State of North Carolina. This event honors that designation and celebrates Caswell County’s History each Spring. Proceeds of the event go towards a Preservation Caswell restoration project.