Short Journey Center

Short Journey began as a school serving the African American community in Johnston County. Mr. John Avera built the original structure on the present site. The building got its name because it was a “short journey” from the school to the Wesley Chapel Church, which he built at that same time. The school was a one-room, one-teacher frame building, typical of its era, and was used until it was standing only with the aid of long props. Avera deeded the grounds and building to Johnston County in 1887.

The present building, completed in 1926, was made possible through the efforts of the Rosenwald Fund. This fund was conceived through Booker T. Washington, in collaboration with the philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck and Company. Rosenwald offered matching grants to rural communities interested in building schools for African American children. Through this, Washington and Rosenwald hoped to promote racial cooperation and spur the South to increase its support for the education of African Americans.

By the 1930’s, Short Journey School was one of 5,300 Rosenwald buildings that blanketed fifteen southern states and one of 800 Rosenwald buildings in North Carolina. The local community raised $500, in order to obtain the funding for the school. Eva Johnson Cooper, a dedicated educator and woman of faith, was the principal of the new school for all 44 years. Ms. Cooper was well known for her life long commitment to the Christian formation of youth.

The school closed with desegregation after the 1969-70 school year. The building was used sporadically by a number of groups until 1983, when the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh purchased the facility to help serve the needs of its youth, young adult and campus ministry programs. In an effort to hold on to the building’s rich history, the facility was dedicated as “Short Journey Center” in 1987.

Today, Short Journey continues to serve the needs of the local community by serving as a retreat, conference and meeting facility. Short Journey is open to all people in the diocese and beyond who are “involved in enhancing the dignity of persons.”