The collection relates to the construction and equipping of a new public school in Franklinton, NC. The school was constructed between the years of 1920 and 1925, and was funded by a local philanthropist S. C. (Sam Cannady) Vann (1852-1924). Vann founded and ran Sterling Cotton Mills, the main industry in Franklinton. The company was founded in 1895. Vann earned his philanthropy reputation by building a Methodist orphanage in Raleigh. Besides providing money for the school, Vann also supervised its construction until his health began to decline in 1922. After S. C. Vann retired from the project, his son, A. H. (Aldridge Henry) Vann (1880-1950), took over the responsibility of overseeing school construction. A.H. Vann also succeeded his father in becoming president and treasurer of the Sterling Cotton Mills. It is his name that appears on all the correspondence and bills relating to the construction from late 1922 to 1925. In December 1924, the Vann family filed a lawsuit against the contracting company, York Construction Co. for failing to complete the school according to contract.
From the description of A. H. Vann papers, 1920-1925, 1965 [manuscript] (North Carolina State University). WorldCat record id: 600272559
