MAPLE — Elizabeth Poyner Sanderlin, who turns 102 next month, has spent much of her long life devoted to helping her community.

Now, as a tribute to Sanderlin's many years of devoted public service, the auditorium of the new $6.6 million Currituck Center of the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service building will be named in her honor.

On Friday, Aug. 11, nearly 100 Extension employees and residents joined Sanderlin and county officials in celebrating the groundbreaking of the new Extension Center next to Central Elementary School in Maple.

The 28,262-square-foot building will be used for educational classrooms, and include a demonstration kitchen for teaching, Extension library, conference rooms and offices. The large Elizabeth P. Sanderlin Auditorium will be used for public meetings and events.

Plans also include outdoor landscaping with demonstration ponds and botanical gardens.

"I'm sure the building will be something that the county will be very proud of when it's complete," said Dan Hickok Jr., an architect with the firm Rodriguez Ripley Maddux and Motley, which designed the building.

Currituck Cooperative Extension Director Rodney Sawyer said the groundbreaking marked a historic day for the county as well as the Extension Service. The Cooperative Extension Service has had a presence in Currituck since the 1920s, since an agent was sent to the county, he said, to help what state archives referred to as "those backward people."

Sawyer also talked about Sanderlin, who served as Currituck's home demonstration agent from 1951 to 1969, and now holds the honor of being the country's oldest living Extension agent.

Sanderlin was born and raised in Moyock and graduated from Louisburg College in 1926. She returned to Currituck County, first working as a schoolteacher and then serving with the federal Works Progress Administration and the Farmers Home Administration before taking the job with the North Carolina State University Agricultural Extension Service.

Throughout her long career, Sanderlin worked tirelessly to better the lives of farmers, women and children. Her nephew, Jim Hall, said that his aunt is credited for giving local farmers the idea of opening roadside markets to help them get through the Great Depression during the 1930s.

Two years ago, when she turned 100, the Currituck Board of Commissioners declared Sept. 27 as Elizabeth Poyner Sanderlin Day. Among other things, the commissioners cited Sanderlin's ceaseless efforts as a demonstration agent in working to develop leadership skills and self-confidence in a generation of women.

Four commissioners — Paul O'Neal, Owen Etheridge, Paul Martin and Eldon Miller Jr. — County Manager Dan Scanlon, Sawyer and Hickok joined Sanderlin and a representative from the contractor, A.R. Chesson, in turning the first shovel of dirt.

Despite suffering a recent bout with ill health, Sanderlin smiled throughout the groundbreaking ceremony.

"It was just wonderful," she said afterward.

During the groundbreaking, O'Neal also cited the many educational programs the Extension Service provides and recognized the many groups of volunteers associated with the organization, such as 4-H, the Master Gardeners, and Extension Community Associates. The new building is scheduled for completion in October 2007.