The Reid School

In 1918 Professor Reid opened a school, first known as the Colored School of Belmont, in a small building next door to the Reid home. The school served first through sixth graders. The faculty included Reid and five other teachers: Mabel Forney Dargan, Rozella Mae Clanton Grier, Beulah McCorkle, Elna Roberts, and Dorothy Alexander Webber. Professor Reid served as principal for twenty-two years.

Gradually the school grew to include ten grades. In 1932 the school was renamed Reid School (later Reid High School) in honor of its founder, and the first commencement was held. Around 1941 eleventh and twelfth grades were added. The student body included residents from Mount Holly, Lowell, Cramerton, McAdenville, Neely’s Grove, Belmont and south Gastonia and as far as Union Road close to the South Carolina line, according to the history book “Footprints on the Rough Side of the Mountain,” which was written by former students of the school.

In 1954 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional; however, it was more than a decade before Gaston County’s public schools were fully integrated. And although a number of the buildings were relatively new, the school was completely demolished soon after it closed in 1966.

Since the school’s closure, alumni, the Reid family, and the community have worked together diligently to keep Professor Reid’s legacy and the proud history of the Reid School alive.

On July 1, 1995, Reid alumni and community members celebrated the unveiling of “The Message,” a sculpture created by internationally known artist and Reid High School Class of 1964 alumnus Juan Logan, which is located in Reid Park. The monument was commissioned to memorialize the school and as part of the city of Belmont’s centennial celebration. In addition, the late Belmont Mayor Kevin Loftin designated the day “Reid High Day” in Belmont.

On Sept. 7, 2013, the city of Belmont, the Reid High Class of 1956, and other contributors erected a marker commemorating Reid High School at Reid Park.