In 1968, Cassandra Henderson graduated from a North Carolina school; 58 years later, she returned to its restored building, now 53 senior apartments (Image Credit: The Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition)
The former school, which closed in 2002 and remained vacant for more than 20 years, has been transformed into 53 affordable homes for older adults. Henderson graduated from the school in 1968 and later spent years living in Richmond, Virginia. Henderson moved into the Dillard School Apartments in August 2026, returning to the entrance where she once arrived by school bus. The building originally opened as the Caswell County Training School between 1949 and 1951. It was the first school in Caswell County to offer 11 grades to Black students. Following desegregation in 1969, it was renamed Dillard Junior High School in honour of Nicholas Longworth Dillard, a longtime principal. The school closed in 2002 and was subsequently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Which reported on the redevelopment, the project combines historic preservation with an effort to address the shortage of affordable housing for seniors, according to NC Newsline. Nearly six decades after graduating from Dillard Junior High School in Yanceyville, North Carolina, Cassandra Henderson has returned to the same building, this time as a resident of its newly restored senior apartments. The development has also received national recognition from the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition. When she wanted to return to Yanceyville to be closer to family and friends, finding suitable housing became an obstacle. Her sister encouraged her to move home, but Henderson recalled telling her there was nowhere for her to live. The redevelopment changed that. In an interview with NC Newsline, she recalled the school’s hallways, metal lockers and auditorium, describing her years there as some of her happiest. However, it remained unused for more than two decades, with broken windows, a deteriorating gymnasium roof and interiors exposed to the elements.