Triad Cultural Arts buys land, paving a way for new center to honor local Black history

When Triad Cultural Arts, Inc. purchased three lots from Winston-Salem, it marked a major step in a multi-year effort to create a new cultural center.

The nonprofit organization acquired two shotgun houses in the Happy Hill neighborhood through the purchase, said Cheryl Harry, TCA executive director. Happy Hill is the oldest Black community in the city, according to the organization's website.

The nonprofit will turn one of the homes into the Shotgun House Legacy Site, Harry said. It will serve as a center to honor local Black history and Happy Hill.

"We wanted to protect the house because of its architectural significance," Harry said. "Then the house of course is an iconic symbol of freedom in the South."

The property sale was completed on May 18, according to a Forsyth County Register of Deeds filing. The legacy site is expected to be completed in 2025.

The sale marked a milestone in an effort that started in 2013, Harry said. It was important to save the homes because they symbolized the resiliency of African Americans.

"It's been a lot of ups and downs," Harry said. "I feel like the time is now because this is the time it was meant to be."

But a center to honor local Black history is more important now than ever, said Simiyha Garrison, a TCA community engagement board member.

"It's very important for us to have this space for us to learn, to heal, and congregate without being policed," Garrison said.

It's also significant for the spotlight it will place on Happy Hill's history, she said. Growing up in the neighborhood, she's witnessed the community persevere despite hardships, Garrison said.

Historically, Happy Hill has felt the brunt of systemic changes. Highway 52 was built right through the community in the 1960s, she said.

The new center gives the community a physical location to honor their history right in their backyard, Garrison said. It also brings attention to local history.

"This will be a living monument," Garrison said. "You will be able to walk into these spaces."

Eric Hairston, a TCA community engagement manager, said multiple generations of families have lived in the neighborhood. Preservation efforts like this ensure these stories are told, he said.

"You have a treasure trove of history right in Winston-Salem," Hairston said. "This preservation effort brings a local focus to what happened here."