The Panther Branch School closed its doors in 1956 and Juniper Level Missionary Baptist Church purchased the property in 1959, continuing to use the building as a meeting hall and social center until the 1980s. The school eventually fell into disrepair and a concerted effort to restore the historic building began in 2001 after the property was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. A group of Panther Branch alumni came together and the JLBC Alliance was formed, incorporated in 2005 as a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization. After many years of fundraising and events, the Alliance was able to begin initial planning on the phased project in 2009. Capital Area Preservation designated the building a Wake County Landmark in 2013 and Maurer Architecture became involved with planning the restoration of the building after the Alliance received a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.