Welcome to Historic Method Community.

Written by Naomi S. Feaste, Ex-Director Al-Iman School, May 3 2003.

Sources: "Culture Town: Life in Raleigh's African American Communities" by Linda Simmons-Henry & Linda H Edmisten and "The Little Place and The Little Girl" by Mrs. Bertha Maye Edwards.

The Islamic Center of Raleigh is located in Historic Method Community. Method is one of eight historic African-American communities according to records kept by the city of Raleigh.

Historic African-American Communities

• Method
• Oberlin
• Nazareth
• East Raleigh / South-Park
• Fourth Ward
• College Park
• Idlewild
• Smokey Hollow

What was the state of the African-American Community in Raleigh at the turn of the century?

• Times were difficult after the Civil War.
• Some African Americans had strong wills and strong human spirits. They wanted to grow to their greatest potential.
• Others had broken spirits and a lack of will to step out on faith.
• Freedom came in 1863 with the land purchase.
• Jessie Mason and Isaac O'Kelly purchased 69 acres from General Cox and his wife Penelope.
• This land was near the current location of Meredith College.

African Americans - Building Community Life

• Raleigh saw a growth spurt around 1872.
• Wealthy whites swapped land for services. This was the beginning of land development.
• Housing was expensive for African Americans. They formed communities, one of them was "Method". It's early names included:
• Save Rent
• Slab Town
• Mason Village
• The village realized more growth and conditions began to improve for some.

Prominent families in the then Mason Village included:

• Lewis and Rosetta Mason with a two-storey house, seven rooms for 9 children
• C. H. Woods
• Jeff Atwater
• Nelson O'Kelly and Chaney Ligon
• Jane Wilder
• Merritt Wilder
• Caroline Tilley
• Lafayette Ligon
• John Ligon
• Arthur Huner

Occupations and Recreation in the Village

Men

• Farming
• Tucker Farm (current location of Meredith College)
• NC State College Farm
• Janitorial (At the NC State College)
• Construction (At the NC State College)
• Highway and Road work
• Railroad yard work (Salary $60 per month)
• Blacksmith Shop
• Cotton Gin

Women

• Teachers (Salary $25 per month)
• Laundresses (Salary $0.25 per week)
• Domestics
• Slaughter pen operators

Recreational Activities

• Baseball
• Church picnics and Fish Fry's
• School events
• North Carolina Negro State Fair

The Community Grows (As Mason Village grew, so did the need for services)

• Country Store
• 1879 - Mr. C. H. Woods owner of the general store
• Provided necessities for home and farm
• Berry O'Kelly became a co-partner after several years as an employee
• Country Store's New Ownership
• Woods moved to Oklahoma, O'Kelly becomes sole proprietor
• Improved services - clothing, shoes, yard goods, fresh meats
• 1890 Store expands - Adds freight siding, passenger train operation and Post Office
• Berry O'Kelly meets with railroad and government officials to arrange train and post office services in the Village

From Mason Village to Method, NC

• Successful business, a growing school, new services brought about a name change from Mason Village to Method, NC
• The railroad company was instrumental in the village name change from Mason Village to Method

Method Civic League Need for more services spun Method Civic League which was organized on April 2, 1937.

Amenities on hand in Method:

• O'Kelly's Shopping Post
• Post Office
• Fish Market

Amenities lacking in Method:

• Street lights
• Water
• Sewage
• Electricity
• Fire Station
• Paved roads
• Street names

Raleigh's African American business community begins to thrive in 1940s

Berry O'Kelly School - The first school in the Village.

1871

Private School in a small log hut

1873

Two teacher public school

1895-1900

A public school listing shows - Method School, J.D. Atwater - Principal, Maggie Crowder - Teacher

1895-1964

Beginnings of the new Berry O'Kelly High School Campus

• 1919 - School became first fully accredited high school for African Americans in North Carolina
• Students from outside of Method are enrolled
• Dormitory space available
• Kitchen and dining hall area was available

Concluding Notes

Just as those original slab huts changed to more modern one-story Vernacular Triple A style homes, Folk Victorian homes, or Bungalow houses, and ...

Just as Mason Village became Method, NC ...

Just as Berry O'Kelly High School continued to expand to meet the needs of the community ...

Changes will continue to cccur and life will go on in Method Community.

The early settlers of Method had an inner drive to fulfill their greatest potential which gave birth to this community.

We are in a new century and a new chapter is unfolding around Method. Will there be another historian to record fond memories of this community as was recorded by Mrs. Bertha Maye Edwards in "The Little Place and The Little Girl"?