Palmer's Built Landscape Through the Years

Located in Guilford County, Palmer Memorial Institute (PMI) was created in 1902 by Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown. Dr. Brown realized a lack of quality educational options for African Americans in the area and decided to open a co-educational day and boarding school for African American students. Over the course of Dr. Brown’s presidency, PMI became one of the most renowned schools for African Americans in the nation. The school closed in 1971, and 16 years later in 1987, it opened as a historic site for the public.

The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum at Historic Palmer Memorial Institute is the first North Carolina State Historic Site to honor the achievements of an African American and a woman.

Palmer Memorial Institute was intentionally designed to look like a college campus. The historic campus currently includes twelve buildings, a water tower, an athletic field, and Dr. Brown’s gravesite

In this section, we'll learn about the early years of the campus and about the buildings that are no longer standing. Even though these buildings no longer exist, they are an important part of the history of Palmer Memorial Institute.

Palmer Memorial Institute's built landscape changed over the years and even our site today looks a little different than when the school closed its doors in 1971.

To learn more about the story of Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown and Palmer Memorial Institute, come out to the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum located at 6136 Burlington Rd. Gibsonville, NC 27249. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9am until 5pm.