Alison McKane
     Staff Writer

From Nov. 23, 2014 to Feb. 14, 2016, the Greensboro Historical Museum has had an exhibit about the history of Warnersville as a community in Greensboro. Originally, Warnersville began as just 35 ½ acres of unused land.

When the land was purchased by Yardley Warner after the Civil War, Warnersville was formed with the intention of being a predominately African American community.

The exhibit has information about Warnersville’s residents, its creation and how it was run along with pieces of history residents shared.

An interesting component of the exhibit is that it is guided by multimedia, making much of it is accessible from iPads as well as online.

A manifesto of sorts, the section “First Residents” has multiple columns, documenting the earliest people who lived there. It contains their names, how many acres they purchased, the year they purchased the land and historical information.

For example, there was James Jones who purchased 220 acres in 1872. And, according to the 1870 census, he was a 27-year-old carpenter.

On the list there were three men with the same last name, Unthank: Harmon, Jasper and Jasper.

Harmon, 44-years-old at the time, purchased 50 acres of land in 1871. According to the 1887 city directory, he worked as a carpenter for the Greensboro Spoke and Handle Works. He built his house on McCulloch Street.

Jasper Harmon, who is assumed to be the older brother of Harmon, married Carolina Morehead Unthank. At 44-years-old, in 1869, he purchased 95 acres.

Finally, Jasper Harmon, who was probably Harmon’s son, was 36-years-old, and, in 1887, purchased 60 acres of land. He married Catherine Randolph in 1891 and, according to the 1887 city directory, worked as a grocer.

The exhibit also featured correspondents of the family, known as the “Unthank Letters.” Written by Harmon Unthank between 1887 until 1888, these were letters between him and his friend, Lydia Tourgée, discussing teachers’ salaries.

Harmon Unthank was described as a, “Highly literate man, a force of social change and a skilled carpenter.” He was a community leader.

The first letter is from May 1887, the second Sept. 27, 1887. There are two letters from October and a final one from March 13, 1888. These letters can be found both in the exhibit and online. Visitors are able to both read and listen to the letters.

The “Life and Community” section of the exhibit is where viewers are able to listen to stories from residents of Warnersville. Earl Haith spoke about two residents in particular: Sam Penn and Rosa Rhinehart.

The interviewer asked Haith to speak about Penn. Haith described him as a, “Very, very large imposing man…I had been told he had once been a football player.”

He was the only Black man on the police force. The Greensboro Police Department had employed him to “represent the black community.” Haith spoke about how Officer Penn had no authority to arrest a white man.

The interviewer asked Haith if the officer had a vehicle, to which he replied, “No, he walked.”

The second resident, Haith referred to as “Mrs. Rosa.” She would send Haith and her grandson, who was the same age, to run errands for her.

“You know how all Black women would keep their money in their bosom,” Haith said with a laugh. “She would knot up the money in a spotless white handkerchief, so we wouldn’t lose it. She would knot it so tight; Superman wouldn’t be able to untie it.”

Jane Holt Higgins spoke about her experience with Dudley high school. She recalled how it was “totally different” and how she felt “more accepted.” Higgins was a part of the National Honors Society and multiple clubs.

“A lot of the work, especially in science, wasn’t hands-on. When I came back [as a teacher], I tried to make it more hands-on – like a mini biology class.”

Higgins recalled the time that one of the white mice in her classroom had gotten loose and found its way upstairs and onto the desk of the principal.

While these are only a few of the stories and only a portion of the exhibit, it is an important portion of history for everyone to remember.

For more information on the exhibit of the Greensboro Historical Museum, visit greensborohistory.org.

The Greensboro Historical Museum is located at 130 Summit Ave. Greensboro, NC 27401. They are open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as Sunday from 2-5 p.m.