710 E. Martin Luther King Blvd. - Second Ward Gym

Built in 1949, the Second Ward High School Gymnasium presents several “firsts” for Charlotte. It was one of the first International Style public buildings in Charlotte, designed by one of the city’s first modernist architects – A. G. Odell, for the first African-American high school. As the center for school and community life in Charlotte’s Brooklyn neighborhood, the gym was innovative with its clean, modern lines and exposed steel, masonry, and glass. The school was razed in 1969 as part of the urban renewal movement, with only the gym remaining. Placed on the Historic Register in 2008 and restored by Neighboring Concepts, the gym once again serves as a community center. The project was recently awarded a 2019 Historic Preservation Award from the Charlotte Museum of History. Look for the mural capturing the history of the neighborhood by local artist Tommie Robinson.