Historic Magnolia House: Saving Black Sanctuaries

"You don't know where you are going if you don't know where you came from, you don't where you come from if it doesn't exist"

The Historic Magnolia House,  a NC Green Book site located in Greensboro,  housed African American writers, actors, athletes and musicians as they traveled south during the Jim Crow era.  

•Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this former motel was recognized and starred in 6 editions of The Green Book as a highly recommended place to stay for Negro travelers in North Carolina.  

•Of the 300+ Green Book sites in the state of North Carolina, we are 1 of 4 still in existence.

•Identified as a “Distinctive Destination” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation

•Within these walls embeds memories of James Brown playing in the street with neighborhood children, Joe Tex signing autographs on the front porch and moments captured with Ike & Tina Turner, Ray Charles, James Brown, James Baldwin, Sam Cooke, Jackie Robinson to name a few.

 

When we complete our Mission we will have a 100% replica of the 1949 Green Book Hotel both structurally and operationally, to then continue saving other Black Sanctuaries. The intended results of the Magnolia project are to provide education, create jobs, expand and enhance the local tourism experience, contribute to the economic revitalization of the surrounding community, and ensure its status as a fully operational Green Book attains a national presence.

To obtain this goal we need to:

Repair critical structural damage

Preserve and Restore the Historic Hotel creating authentic overnight experience of the Green Book Heyday

Build on premise Museum to share and celebrate the history of the Negro and community

Expand existing and develop new community partnerships to save the Magnolia and other Black landmarks critical to our community

Develop Art and Education Programs that empower our youth and engage them in innovative ways.

Use of Technology to creatively share the stories and meet the community where they are.