Exploring the Heritage of the Ailey Young House
The Town of Wake Forest will host "Exploring the Heritage of the Ailey Young House" on Sunday, Oct. 7, from 3-5 p.m. at the Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St. The session is the first in a new series of presentations on the history of the northeast area of Wake Forest entitled "Community Connections in Northeast Wake Forest."
Free and open to the public, the Oct. 7 event will explore the heritage of the Ailey Young House and examine its link to the early history of the African-American community in Wake Forest. The occasion will include a panel discussion and historical presentation about the Ailey Young House, along with a screening of the new video, "The Ailey Young House - a Family Legacy, a Wake Forest Treasure." Produced by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and narrated by Ricardo Young, the great-great-grandson of Allen Young (son of Ailey Young), the video traces the history of the Ailey Young House and details current efforts to restore it.
Seating is limited, so pre-registration is required.
About the Ailey Young House
In 2008 Wake Forest conducted a Historic Buildings Survey to identify the Town's historic properties. The survey's most significant find was the Ailey Young House. Situated in the middle of a wooded lot with dense undergrowth, the structure just happened to be located on Town-owned property adjacent to the Wake Forest Cemetery, 400 N. White St.
Considered the oldest African-American historic building in Wake Forest, the Ailey Young House is historically significant because it served as the childhood home of Allen Young, one of the founders of the Wake Forest Normal and Industrial School, the first private school for African-American children in Wake Forest.
The Town is leading an effort to rehabilitate the structure. The initiative includes a new roof, replacement of burned out structural members and flooring, and the reconstruction of the front porch.