Cassandra Henderson graduated from Dillard Junior High in Yanceyville, North Carolina, in 1968. Nearly six decades later, she moved back into the same building, not as a student but as a resident of the newly restored Dillard School Senior Apartments. The former school, which had stood empty for about 20 years, has been transformed into 53 affordable apartments for seniors aged 62 and older, reported Tax Credit Coalition.The project is a rare example of a community turning a vacant historic building into practical housing. Originally built between 1949 and 1951, the Caswell County Training School was the first African American school in Caswell County to offer 11 grades. After desegregation in 1969, it was renamed for longtime principal Nicholas Longworth Dillard and continued serving students until it closed in 2002. Read more details about it here, as per Tax Credit Coalition’s report:
A school with deep local meaning
For generations of Black students in Caswell County, the school was more than a place to learn. It represented opportunity at a time when educational access was shaped by segregation. Its early name, Caswell County Training School, reflected the era’s segregated school system, but the institution became a centre of learning, pride and community life.The campus included a gymnasium addition in 1960, giving students space for athletics and gatherings beyond the classroom. Henderson’s graduation in 1968 came near the end of that era, just before desegregation changed the school’s role and identity. After desegregation, the school was renamed Dillard Junior High in honour of Nicholas Longworth Dillard, its longtime principal. The building continued to serve local students until its closure in 2002, after which it entered a long period of vacancy, as per the report.
From empty building to senior housing
For two decades, the former school sat unused. Its future was uncertain until community-led preservation efforts helped secure its place on the National Register of Historic Places and build support for a new purpose.The restoration converted former classrooms into seven studio apartments and 46 one-bedroom apartments. All 53 units are restricted to seniors with incomes at or below 50 percent of the area median income, making the development an important affordable-housing option in rural Yanceyville. The project was developed through the work of DreamKey Partners and Red Stone Equity Partners. It also received recognition from the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition, which awarded Dillard School Senior Apartments its 2026 Recognition of Housing Tax Credit Excellence in the Rural Housing category.
Designed for ageing in place
The apartments were designed to be more than simply affordable. The building includes elevator-served accessibility, a community centre with a business and computer room, fitness space, community laundry, tenant storage and on-site management with supportive service coordination, it was further reported.Outdoor amenities were also built into the plan. Residents have access to community gardens and recreation areas, including pickleball and shuffleboard courts, encouraging neighbours to stay active and connected.For Henderson, returning to the building meant rejoining a place filled with personal history. For other residents it provides a stable home in a familiar community with services and shared spaces designed for later life.
Why adaptive reuse is important
The Dillard School project is an example of how historic preservation and affordable housing can go hand in hand. Rather than demolish a prominent local feature, the community preserved its structure and repurposed it to fulfilll a present-day need.Many rural areas face particular housing problems such as little new building, an aging population and a limited choice of rented accommodation. Converting an existing school building into senior apartments can preserve local character while creating homes close to the people and places residents already know.The project also demonstrates the value of patient, community-led redevelopment. The school’s revival did not happen quickly. It required years of vacancy, preservation advocacy, historic recognition and investment before it could become housing again.
A homecoming with a larger lesson
Cassandra Henderson’s return gives the Dillard School Senior Apartments a human story at their centre. A building that once shaped her education now provides her with a home, nearly 60 years after she walked its halls as a student.The transformation also offers a broader lesson for towns considering the future of vacant schools, factories and civic buildings. When communities protect historic places and adapt them carefully, they can retain memory while addressing urgent needs such as senior housing.Today, Dillard School Senior Apartments is a preserved landmark and active community. The 53 apartments are more than brick and classrooms returned; they are a new lease on life for a building that continues to serve the people of Yanceyville.
