Meet Nicholas Longworth Dillard (1906-1969)

a man whose impact on education in Caswell County resonates even today Born in Leaksville, now Eden, North Carolina, Dillard's journey took him from pressing pants to becoming the driving force behind educational opportunities for the African American community in Caswell County.

Imagine a time when a high school education wasn't an option for Black students in Caswell County. That was the reality until Dillard stepped in. After graduating from Shaw University and a brief stint selling insurance, Dillard found his calling in education. He started teaching at the Yanceyville School in 1930, and by 1932, he became its principal.

Undeterred by the lack of a Black high school, Dillard ingeniously added school years to the curriculum. By 1933, he presented the Caswell County School Board with a graduating class ready for their final year, effectively establishing the first high school for Black students in the county. This marked a pivotal moment, and in 1935, the school was officially recognized as Caswell County Training School (CCTS).

Dillard's commitment didn't stop there. He tirelessly campaigned for a proper building to house CCTS, finally realizing his goal in 1951. The new building was the largest in Caswell County at the time. In 1954, Dillard ensured CCTS earned full accreditation from the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges, a remarkable achievement.

Even as times changed, Dillard remained at the forefront. He played a crucial role in planning the complete integration of the county's public schools in 1968 and 1969.

Known for his ability to listen, his powerful speaking skills, and his dedication to education, Dillard left a lasting impression on everyone he met. Students admired and respected him, recognizing him as a key figure in their educational journeys. His legacy lives on through the Caswell County Schools named in his honor, as well as the N. L. Dillard Middle School. Dillard believed that it doesn't matter where you came from, but where you are going.

Meet Maud Gatewood (1934-2004)

an exceptional and groundbreaking artist from Yanceyville, North Carolina, recognized as one of the state's most distinguished painters.

Born on January 8, 1934, during the Great Depression, Maud spent her early years in the historic Graves-Florance-Gatewood home, which now houses the Caswell County Historical Association and the Richmond-Miles History Museum. Described by friends and peers as intelligent, independent, loyal, curious, and daring, Maud's life was anything but ordinary.

As the only child of Mary Lea and Sheriff John Yancey Gatewood, Maud had a unique upbringing. She even accompanied her father on moonshine still busts, with a toy gun at her hip. While her mother initially envisioned a "couth" Southern Belle lifestyle for Maud, enrolling her in piano lessons, it soon became clear that Maud's path was different. After only four months, the piano lessons were abandoned, and at the age of ten, Maud began her art education at Averett University.

Maud's talent propelled her forward. At 16, after skipping two grades, she entered Woman’s College in Greensboro (now UNCG), earning a fine arts degree in 1954. She continued her studies at Ohio State, receiving a master’s degree a year later. In 1963, she received a Fulbright grant to study in Austria under Oskar Kokoschka.

Upon returning to North Carolina, she coordinated the art program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. However, desiring more time to paint, Maud left Charlotte in 1973 and moved back to Caswell County, where she became a county commissioner. She was the only woman on the board.

Maud was a maverick in both life and art. Coming of age during the women's rights movement, she defied expectations and pursued her artistic passions. Her art, ranging from realism to abstractionism, often featured bold lines, colors, and shapes, with subjects spanning from cows in pastures to challenging social norms.

Maud Gatewood's work has been exhibited in private collections and museums throughout the U.S., including the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC. She received numerous awards, including an art award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1972 and the North Carolina Award in Fine Arts in 1984.

Maud Gatewood passed away on November 8, 2004, leaving behind a significant artistic legacy. Her works can be found at the Richmond-Miles Museum, the Maud Gatewood Museum in the Yanceyville Town Hall Building, and in collections from Greensboro to The Smithsonian.

Meet Henrietta Phelps Jeffries (1857-1926)

an extraordinary woman who left an indelible mark on Caswell County, North Carolina, as a midwife and community leader. Born into slavery in Halifax County, Virginia, to Elijah Phelps and Charlotte Ann Bennett, Henrietta's life was a testament to resilience, faith, and service.

Growing up as the eldest of seven children, Henrietta learned the art of midwifery from her mother, Charlotte, also a midwife2.... At the young age of 15, she married George Lawson and had a son, George Jr., but was soon widowed by age 22. In 1881, she married James Allen Jeffries, a tobacco farmer, and together they had 11 children, bringing her total to 18. The family made their home in Milton, North Carolina.

Henrietta was a literate woman who identified herself as a "doctress" in the 1910 U.S. Census, working as a midwife. She delivered "hundreds of children, both black and white" throughout Caswell County.

Henrietta's life took a dramatic turn in 1911 when she was brought to trial on charges of "practicing medicine without a license." At the time, a conviction could mean death by hanging. The trial became a historic event, drawing national attention to the small town of Yanceyville, NC.

In an unprecedented move, the judge stepped down from the bench, stood beside Henrietta, defended her cause, and overrode the jury's decision, dismissing the charges.  This act was particularly remarkable for an African American woman in the early 20th century.

Beyond her work as a midwife, Henrietta was a founding member of the Macedonia A.M.E. Church in Milton, North Carolina. She passed away on August 22, 1926, and is buried at the Macedonia A.M.E. Church in Milton, NC.

Henrietta Jeffries' legacy has been honored in various ways. In 1985, she was recognized as one of the "First Ladies of Caswell County, Past and Present." Her trial was reenacted in a film titled The Trial of Henrietta Jeffries, produced by Piedmont Community College in 2002, with many of her descendants participating. In 2018, WRAL-TV News featured her life in a segment titled "Midwife Delivered Hundreds of Babies Despite Bigotry"  https://www.wral.com/remembering-henrietta-jeffries-the-caswell-county-midwife-who-faced-bigotry-racism-to-deliver-thousands-of-babies/20427950/

Meet Julius "Neal" Watlington (1922-2019)

a respected figure from Caswell County, embodying the intertwined roles of baseball player, war veteran, and community pillar1.... Born on Christmas Day, 1922, in Yanceyville, North Carolina, Neal was the only son in a family of seven children1....

Watlington's early life was marked by the responsibilities of working in his father's general store and the joys of playing football and baseball1.... His budding baseball career faced interruption when World War II called him to serve in the U.S. Army.. He served on the front lines in France, Belgium, and Germany, where he earned both a Purple Heart and the French Legion of Honor Award for his bravery.

Upon returning home, Watlington rekindled his baseball ambitions, signing with the Giants organization in 1947. His talents quickly propelled him to recognition, as he became the Most Valuable Player for the Danville Leafs in 1947 and the Knoxville Smokies in 1948.

In 1953, Watlington reached a career highlight when the Philadelphia Athletics called him up to the Major Leagues.  Although his time in the majors was brief, he made a notable contribution to baseball history by catching Bob Trice, the first African-American player for the Philadelphia A’s. 

Beyond baseball, Neal and his wife, Katherine, became integral to the Yanceyville community, operating "Watlington's on the Square," a beloved local department store, for approximately 50 years. 

Meet Jason Andrew Turner, the Muralist (1982)

a process-based artist who explores themes of mental health, cause and effect, psychic connection, and play1 . He works mostly with water-based materials and sumi ink, creating abstract works that bridge the mechanical and spiritual1 . Jason contrasts memory and experience through meditation and the unconscious, focusing on the concrete and ethereal questions that determine our existence and connectivity1 .

Jason's mural work includes:

Persistence (2019): Mural Arts, 1400 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA2 ...

Sonder (2019): Heid Building, Philadelphia, PA3 ...

Monomyth (2018): Comcast Technology Center, 1800 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA2 ...

Cloud Maker (2020): Cooley LLP, 55 Hudson Yards, NY, NY3 ...

Challenge America - National Endowment for the Arts, Yanceyville, NC4

Jason has created murals across the Northeast, including a large public mural in Philadelphia with Mural Arts2 . He has also created interior murals with the Comcast Technology Center headquarters in Philadelphia and the law office in Hudson Yards in Manhattan, New York

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