The Pigeon Street School
The present day Pigeon Street School opened in 1957. This was the school’s third home as it started out as a one-room building. The new school had three classrooms, a cafeteria, a gym, and an auditorium. The school operated until 1967 when it closed due to the integration of Haywood County Schools. The Pigeon Street School was Haywood County’s elementary school for African American children on the Waynesville side of the county. Pigeon Street was small and well loved by the African American community. Former students remember the school fondly and recall widespread sadness when the school closed. Today, the school has been repurposed as the Pigeon CommunitynMulticultural Development Center. The mission of the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center is to strengthen harmony among the residents of [the] county and its communities. The PCMDC serves local children by offering after school care and summer care. The center provides a place for children to learn, have fun, and feel as part of a family. The PCMDC hosts various fundraising events for the community throughout the year. At present, the PCMDC hopes to build a playground for the children in the future including a soccer field, basketball court, and picnic area.