DURHAM, N.C. — Durham's new school, Lyons Farm Elementary, is built on reminders of its roots.

The Lyons Farm name honors the family that once owned the land, who were were pivotal contributors to the growth and economic opportunities for African American families in Durham.


What You Need To Know

  • Lyons Farm Elementary School is a new elementary school in Durham

  • The school is accommodating for the urgent need of elementary school seats due to population growth

  • The Lyons, the family the name of the school honors, are descendents of slaves

  • The family owned the land that the school is on

A family portrait of John and Ula Lyon and their children is in every classroom of the school.

"You’re making history today!" is what students heard entering the doors of Lyons Farm Elementary School on their first day of school.

About 450 pre-kindergarten to fifth-grade students began the inaugural school year at Lyons Farm Elementary on Monday.

“We want kids to feel like they’re very much a part of the school’s culture,” said James Hopkins, the school’s first principal.

The school in south Durham was built to address the urgent need for elementary school seats due to population growth, and relieve crowding in the city’s public schools.

It has the capacity for just over 600 students, and Hopkins says they hope to serve that number of students in year two or three.

While the school is brand new, the roots of grounds date back to the post-reconstruction era and 20th century. The Lyons Farm name was selected by community members to honor the family that once owned the land.

Picture hanging at Lyons Farm Elementary

Members of the Lyons family were pivotal contributors to the growth and economic opportunities for African American families in Durham.

“John Lyon, the youngest son of Eddie and Ula, is the grandson of a slave. He is the father to a very successful entrepreneur and the son of a sharecropper. These are the things that make me really proud, and I really want to honor their legacy and reflect their greatness,” Hopkins said.

The Lyons’ are descendants of slaves, who persevered to purchasing the land and leased out portions to tobacco farmers.

“One of my expectations from our teacher’s was to make sure their bulletin boards really reflected the impact of the Lyon Family, and what they were able to contribute to North Carolina, Durham and specifically this area,” Hopkins said.

The school's crest was designed to incorporate stars from the Durham flag and symbols to represent Lyons Farm (Heather Fordham/Spectrum News 1)

From the mountains to the sea, the landscape of the Tar Heel state is evident throughout the building. Hallways are named after mountain peaks and areas in Durham. But down every hallway, there are also reminders of the Lyon family.

“Every single classroom you’ll see the crest, you’ll see the image of the family. For as long as I’m there you’ll see the image of the family. I don’t want people to forget the reason we are here,” Hopkins said.

A large crest stamps the floor in the middle of the building, as well as the staircase to the second floor.

The commons area of the school (Heather Fordham/Spectrum News 1)

“My goal was to make sure the family was embedded into the fabric of the school. Twenty-two is symbolic to the year, the rooster is symbolic to the farm, the stars are the same as Durham’s flag, the white stripes are for the patriarch and their seven kids,” Hopkins said.

The school’s theme is "exploring legacy."

Hopkins says students will partake in an explorations lab that will teach them about the Lyon family. Before they graduate from Lyons Farm, each student will design a tile with a symbol to represent how they want to be remembered.

The tiles will be hung around the school as a permanent reminder of their time at Lyons farm.

“Little emotional, given what the family has been through, and how we get to carry their legacy into the future,” Hopkins said.