Calfee Community and Cultural Center open house and community celebration set

10 18 calfee training event

Members of the Calfee Community and Cultural Center Board of Directors. Front row, L to R: Elaine Powell Hawkins, Bonnie Graham, Grace Hurst, Caitlin Hammond, Patricia Arnold, Charles Bopp. Back row, L to R: Kim Matthews, Kim Edmonds, Colette Hash, Michael Barbour, Carl “Hank” Hanks, Jr., David Clark, Robert Hubble, Dr Michael “Mickey” Hickman. Not pictured: Haileigh Taylor. Photo credit: Guy Smith.

The Calfee Training School Project will host an Open House on Saturday, October 26 to celebrate progress on the future Calfee Community and Cultural Center at One Magnox Drive in Pulaski, VA. The event, open to the public and scheduled for 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, will feature music, food, building tours, and a meet and greet with members of the recently established Board of Directors. Calfee Training School alumni will be on hand to share stories and memories of their time as students.

Kendall Payne, executive director of Adaire Theatre and son of Calfee alumnus Henry Payne, will emcee a recognition ceremony at 12:30 pm to honor alumni, share project updates, introduce the Board of Directors, and celebrate reclaiming the building for the community.

“We are excited to be able to open our doors and share future plans for the facility,” said Dr. Michael “Mickey” Hickman, Calfee Community and Cultural Center board member and Calfee alumnus. “The strong sense of community fostered at Calfee School was a significant part of our education, and community involvement will be crucial to the success of the Calfee Community and Cultural Center.”

Food, music, games, and other activities will take place in the paved lot next to the building, and parking will be available across the street on the old Magnox lot. The event is sponsored by Pulaski County, Town of Pulaski, and Pulaski County Department of Social Services.

About the Calfee Training School Project

The Calfee Training School Project is an initiative to revitalize a historic African American school in Pulaski, Virginia. A group of local citizens, including Calfee Training School alumni and their families, have partnered with the Town of Pulaski, the YMCA of Pulaski County, and the Pulaski County Department of Social Services to honor the school’s rich history by revitalizing the building as a multi-use childcare, community, and cultural center.

The school, located at One Magnox Drive in downtown Pulaski, VA, was constructed in 1939 after the first Calfee Training School was destroyed by fire. The building is a Public Works Administration project repurposed several times since the school closed in 1966. For more information, or to get involved, visit the Calfee Training School Project website at calfeetrainingschoolproject.org and follow @CalfeeTrainingSchoolProject on Facebook.