"Children Racing".
1963. Elizabethtown, N.C. Jones Lake.
North Carolina Division of State Parks/ North Carolina Digital Collections
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Located in Elizabethtown, North Carolina, Jones Lake State Park holds historical significance as the first state park in North Carolina developed specifically for Black Americans.
Established in 1939 during the enforcement of segregation laws era, it provided a vital, safe recreational space for Black families, offering swimming, fishing, and picnicking while other state parks were racially restricted to white Americans only.

A beach, bathhouse, and picnic facilities were provided and it was a popular destination for Black people of NC drawing over 22,000 visitors in its first season.
The park served as a sanctuary for Black communities across the state until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 desegregated all state-owned recreation areas.

Source: NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources