A Program of the Historic Preservation Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
February 2001
Sapelo Island, a Georgia coastal barrier isle, is a natural haven
for birds, sea turtles, plants and salt marshes. The island’s
natural beauty provides a perfect setting for ecological
research and is the home of the Sapelo Island National Estuarine
Research Reserve. Since no bridges connect Sapelo to the mainland,
visitors must catch the ferry to explore the waterways providing
accessibility to the island from the dock at Marsh Landing. In the
midst of this isolated island lies an African American community
that has survived since slavery,
maintaining Gullah/Geechee
customs and contributing to the
cultural heritage of Georgia.
American Indians
inhabited Sapelo’s 16,500 acres
4,000 years ago, and Spanish
explorers established a mission
on the island in 1566. In 1762,
Sapelo Island was purchased by
Patrick Mackay, who introduced
large scale plantation agriculture
and slave labor. Mackay’s
estate was sold to John
McQueen of South Carolina in
1784. Beset by financial woes,
the island was sold to a group
of Frenchmen in 1789. These
royalists, fleeing the French
Revolution, equally divided the
island into tracts including Chocolate, Bourbon and Raccoon Bluff.
African slave settlements were established in these plantations on
the north end of Sapelo. In 1800, the estate of one Frenchman sold
Blackbeard Island to the U.S. government for use as a timber reserve.
Other French land and the slaves were purchased jointly by Edward
Swarbreck, an English sea captain, and Richard Leake, father-inlaw of Thomas Spalding.
EXPLORING THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS ON SAPELO ISLAND
After Leake died in 1802, Spalding inherited the south
half of the island, leaving ownership of the north half to Swarbreck.
Spalding became the most powerful landholder in McIntosh County:
1825 tax records indicated his land holdings totaled 7,910 acres.
Spalding relied heavily on his 400 African slaves to produce cotton,
sugar cane and rice, as these crops were similar to those found in
their homeland in western Africa. Bilali, an overseer of Spalding’s
vast plantation, was the most influential African slave on the island.
A Muslim, Bilali maintained
writings in Arabic that now
reside in the University of
Georgia library. Bilali ensured
the survival of African traditions
to slaves on Sapelo by teaching
the Gullah/Geechee language
and African customs that survive
today through his descendants in
Hog Hammock.
During the Spalding
era, at least five slave settlements
were on Sapelo: Raccoon Bluff,
Shell Hammock, Belle Marsh,
Lumber Landing, and Hog
Hammock. At the eve of the
Civil War, 370 African slaves
resided in these settlements.
They were promised forty acres
and a mule after the war as a
result of General William T. Sherman’s Order No. 15 in January
1865. Freed blacks also returned from the mainland in expectation
of land, but President Andrew Johnson later rescinded this order.
By the late 1860s, 900 free African Americans occupied settlements
scattered throughout Sapelo Island and continued working on the
farm owned by Spalding’s descendants on the south end. In 1878,
Thomas Spalding II sold land in Shell Hammock and Hog Hammock
Volume I, No. 2
continued on page 2
Chocolate Plantation on Sapelo Island in McIntosh County is believed to
have been built c.1812 - c.1820 by Edward Swarbreck. The site consists
of over 15 tabby structures, including individual slave cabins (above).
Raccoon Bluff, on the eastern side of the island, became
an African American settlement circa 1871, when William Hillery,
a former slave, purchased the 1,000 acre tract. William Hillery and
Company sold 20 lots to freedmen, and the Raccoon Bluff settlement
was the largest African American enclave on the island for nearly a
century. The First African Baptist Church was organized circa 1866,
and the congregation built the original church at Hanging Bull, a
former slave settlement on the west side of the island. The church
was destroyed in the hurricane of 1898. The congregation gathered
wood washed ashore from the yellow fever hospital and quarantine
station at Blackbeard Island and built a new church at Raccoon
Bluff circa 1900.
Listed in the National
Register of Historic Places in 1996,
the First African Baptist Church was
the last remaining extant building at
Raccoon Bluff by the 1960s, when
most African Americans on Sapelo
had moved to Hog Hammock. In
1998, the Historic Preservation
Division provided a grant for
restoration of the church that had
remained vacant for 40 years. Early
in 2000, Sapelo residents approached
Paula Wallace, president of the
Savannah College of Art and Design
(SCAD), and persuaded her to enlist
the aid of SCAD students in the
restoration project. Through partnerships formulated with the
Georgia Department of Natural Resources and financial assistance
from the Historic Preservation Division’s Georgia Heritage 2000
grant program and the Governor’s Discretionary Fund and the
dedicated labor of SCAD students, restoration was completed by
year’s end for the First African Baptist Church of Raccoon Bluff.
Today, this Gothic Revival church stands as a living testimony to
the African religious and Gullah/Geechee culture of the residents
of Sapelo Island. The church will be used for services, cultural and
community events.
2
to African Americans. Gradually, Spalding’s descendants,
following a number of failed financial schemes, sold their land
to investors.
In 1911, Howard E. Coffin, a Detroit automobile executive,
visited Sapelo and became the second millionaire to own most of
the land on the island. African American settlements were not
purchased by Coffin. He reintroduced cattle-raising, roads,
greenhouses, and modern residences to the island. African
Americans continued to work for Coffin’s agricultural, dairy and
fishing operations and operated his yacht and supply boats linking
Sapelo to the mainland. The Coffin era on Sapelo continued to the
Depression, and by 1934, he sold the island to tobacco heir R. J.
Reynolds, Jr.
Reynolds possessed a keen interest in education and
established the Sapelo Island Research Foundation in 1949. He
invited scientists to explore the maritime ecological systems on the
island. In 1954, the University of Georgia Marine Institute was
founded in the dairy complex on the south end. Reynolds built a
new school for African Americans at Hog Hammock, and for many
years African American cousins Fred and Benny Johnson operated
Reynold’s ferry, the Janet. However, Reynolds and his attorneys
believed African American settlements should be confined to Hog
Hammock to reserve the north end for a wildlife refuge. By the
1960s, Reynolds engineered land swaps that essentially moved all
African Americans to Hog Hammock. After Reynolds died in 1964,
his wife, Dr. Annemarie Schmidt Reynolds, continued his plans
for the island’s preservation. She was instrumental in the
Department of Natural Resources’ purchase of the north end of the
island and its transformation into the R. J. Reynolds Wildlife Refuge
in 1969. Reynolds’ remaining land on Sapelo was sold to the state
of Georgia in 1976. Today, the majority of land in the Hog
Hammock community is owned by African Americans . In 1998,
DNR developed a management plan for Sapelo’s wildlife, fisheries,
recreation and historic sites. The Historic Preservation Division
continues to encourage preservation of all historic properties and
archaeological sites on Sapelo Island.
continued from page 1
AFRICAN AMERICANS ON SAPELO ISLAND RACCOON BLUFF
Residents and friends of the Sapelo Island community celebrate
the preservation and rededication of First African Baptist
Church of Raccoon Bluff in December2000. Benjamin Hall,
executive director of the Sapelo Island Cultural and
Revitalization Society, receives a 99 year lease for the church
from Governor Roy E. Barnes.
 Photos by Richard Laub and W. Ray Luce
Behavior Cemetery is an African American burial ground located in
one of the slave settlements on Sapelo Island. The cemetery reflects
African burial customs, with graves marked by personal items.
Behavior Cemetery’s oldest tombstone is 1890, but residents attest to
hundreds of unmarked graves. Listed in the National Register of
Historic Places in 1996, Behavior Cemetery remains the largest burial
ground on Sapelo Island. Photo by Elizabeth A. Lyon
First African Baptist Church
of Raccoon Bluff c.1977.
A key island storyteller, activist and historian is Cornelia
Walker Bailey, a descendant of Bilali.
Bailey’s ancestors once resided in
Belle Marsh, but her family was
forced to move to Hog Hammock in
1950. Bailey describes herself as a
Saltwater Geechee in her book, God,
Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man.
Cornelia Walker Bailey can be reached
at 912/485-2206 or www.gacoast.com/
geecheetours.html. Yvonne Grovner
learned how to make world famous
Sapelo sweetgrass baskets from the
late Allen Green, a Sapelo craftsman,
while in his 90s. These baskets are
world famous, and virtually identical
to baskets found on the western
African coast. Grovner shares this
legacy with her family, who make
baskets in their home. The baskets
can be ordered at 912/485-2262.
Stanley Walker knits fishing nets, a skill he has practiced for 21
years. Lula Walker operates Lula’s Kitchen, serving fresh oysters
from the island marshes. Benjamin Hall, executive director of the
Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society, spearheaded
efforts to preserve the First African Baptist Church at Raccoon Bluff.
These residents, influenced by Bilali, continue the legacy of
Gullah/Geechee on Sapelo Island, a Georgia treasure! 3
By 1963, the African American population on Sapelo
Island had dwindled to 211 residents and 48 houses in the Hog
Hammock community. Trained as farmers and fishermen since
the 19th century, many residents left the island during the Reynolds
era, seeking educational and job opportunities on the mainland.
Entering the Hog Hammock community today, visitors are greeted
with a sign that reads: Historic Hog Hammock Community,
established circa 1857, 434 acres, pop. 70. These residents
continue many traditions first passed on by Bilali, their African
ancestor. Current community economic development ventures
include bed and breakfast operations, tours, fishing and hunting.
HOG HAMMOCK COMMUNITY WHAT IS ARCHAEOLOGY?
AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT IT?
Dr. David Colin Crass, State Archaeologist
Historic Preservation Division
These are the two most common questions I get from folks when
I tell them about the Historic Preservation Division’s
Archaeology Education and Protection Program. In fact, most
people know at least something about archaeology, usually from
watching the Indiana Jones movies or reading National Geographic
magazine. Although the Indy movies are great entertainment, they
bear only a passing resemblance to the science of archaeology.
The short answer to the first question is easy. Archaeology,
at least in the U.S., is a branch of anthropology, the study of
humankind and its origins. Archaeologists study past human
societies through the material things they left behind. In practice,
whether one is studying prehistoric stone tools that are 6,000 years
old or the ruins of a tabby slave cabin on one of Georgia’s barrier
islands, that means studying garbage, literally material that has been
thrown away. It also means studying buildings that are evidenced
by the soil stains left behind by rotted posts; studying gardens that
have disappeared but still leave remaining traces under the surface
of the earth of paths and beds; and studying forest cover through
pollen analysis.
The answer to the second question, however, is a bit more
complex. Those of us who are involved in historic preservation
are, by definition, interested in the past. The fact that every state in
the union has a state historic preservation office is a result of federal
and state recognition that the past is important. Understanding the
past through archaeology is absolutely critical to our larger
preservation efforts. Why? In order to answer this, we have to
explore what it is that the discipline of history examines.
The latest archaeological evidence indicates that humans
have occupied North America for approximately 13,000 years. The
written records that form the raw data of the discipline of history
go back to 1540 when the Spanish explorer De Soto landed in
Florida and made his way up into Georgia and westward. North
American Indians were pre-literate and preserved their history
through oral tradition. Most of the buildings that we see on the
Georgia landscape are even youngerthe oldest date to the 18th
century. Simple math tells us that the written records in our archives
and the buildings around us are the tangible evidence of about 3.5%
of the time humans have occupied Georgia. So learning about our
past only through those avenues is like parting the curtains on a
window just a crack and expecting to fill a room with sunlight.
Moreover, preserving and studying historic buildings and
written records alone is less representative than it might seem at
first glance. Not only does it leave out American Indian culture but
it significantly under-represents the lives and contributions of
enslaved Africans, Hispanics, tenant farmers in the postbellum
south, women and children. Why? Because for most of American
history, literacy has been the privilege of the few. With the exception
of the Works Project Administration (WPA) Writers Project and
several other notable examples, for instance, most of our historical
knowledge of enslaved Africans up until about 25 years ago came
from records kept by their ownersnot by the people themselves.
continued on page 4
Cornelia Walker Bailey,
author and storyteller, shares
memories of Sapelo’s past
with visiting historians at a
recent retreat.
Photo by Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr.
This cottage, shaded by live oak trees abundant on
Sapelo Island, is an example of vernacular dwellings
built by African American craftsmen in the Hog
Hammock community . The Hog Hammock Historic
District was listed in the National Register of Historic
Places in 1996. Photo by James R. Lockhart
4
continued from page 3
In fact, the answer to why we need archaeology is: this is
the only method to preserve the achievements and lives of many of
the people that have lived before us. Some of the most important
archaeological sites in the country are in Georgia. Starting with
research begun about 25 years ago, Georgia archaeology has helped
revolutionize our view of the lives of enslaved African Americans,
especially on our coastal barrier islands. Their distinctive Gullah
culture still exists, although in neighboring states like South Carolina
it is under threat from coastal development. Here in Georgia we
are blessed, because most of our fragile barrier islands are preserved
either through state, federal, or concerned private ownership. While
this has led to the conservation of the beautiful maritime forests
and marshes that are home to hundreds of species of wild animals,
it has also led to the preservation of world-class archaeological sites.
The accompanying article by Dr. Ray Crook of the State University
of West Georgia details his excavations of Gullah sites on Sapelo
Island, which have helped to tell the story of Georgians long since
gone, whose stories we can learn through the science of archaeology.
The Gullah, or Saltwater Geechee of Sapelo have their
roots deeply planted in the island’s sandy soils. For over 200
years they have tilled the fields, fished the tidal creeks, hunted
animals and gathered plants along the marsh edges and in the
magnolia/live-oak forests, and had their hands in a variety of other
economic pursuits. Their unique language and culture bear
testament to the human ability to adapt and survive under conditions
that challenged their endurance and sensibilities. Under the historic
circumstances of chattel bondage, their ancestors created a cultural
system that successfully merged and blended the linguistic and
behavioral patterns of their native African homelands with those of
the dominant Euro-Americans. The result was Gullah  a creole
culture that satisfied not only the imposed demands of plantation
life, but also the full social, religious, and economic needs of the
Gullah themselves. Once thriving along the South Carolina and
Georgia coasts, their numbers now are few and widely spread; the
survival of their cultural traditions is endangered.
The locations and number of Gullah communities on
Sapelo have changed over the years. When associated with
plantations, they were relatively contained and situated near work
areas. Following the Civil War some Freedmen remained in the
slave settlements for a time, while others moved to other locations
to establish family homesteads or small communities. Some left
the island, others came to make Sapelo their home for the first time.
Gullah settlements became well established and grew during the
first half of the 20th century. However, most of the homesteads and
communities were vacated during the 1950s. R. J. Reynolds had
arranged for all the black residents to relocate into the single
community of Hog Hammock. The former settlements soon were
reclaimed by the island’s vegetation and ravaged by the elements.
The houses, outbuildings, and other features of the cultural landscape
deteriorated to the point where they survived only in memories and
as archaeological remains.
Against this backdrop, an anthropological research project
was initiated in 1992 to gather and record archaeological and
ethnographic information about the Gullah communities of Sapelo
Island. This project, initially funded by the Sapelo Island Research
Foundation and with the support of the Hog Hammock community
and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, has resulted in
new information about Gullah life on the island.
The Sapelo Gullah project began with historical research
for clues about the locations of former settlements on the island
and the identities of their occupants. Old maps, photographs and a
few written records provided tantalizing leads and many additional
questions. It became clear very quickly that the most important
sources of information were the living memories of several elderly
Sapelo residents and the archaeological record of the material
remains of the settlements.
With the able assistance of Cornelia Walker Bailey, ten
members of the Hog Hammock community were identified who
had lived in several of the vacated communities and they agreed to
participate in formal, semi-structured interviews. Basic life-history
THE SAPELO GULLAH PROJECT
1992 - 2001
Dr. Ray Crook, State University of West Georgia
Director, Waring Archaeological Laboratory
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES UNIT
Archaeology has been recognized as an important tool
in historic resource management since the passage of the federal
Antiquities Act in 1906 under President Theodore Roosevelt.
The 1966 National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) codified
the role of the individual states in protecting important historical
and prehistoric resources. Georgia laws further define the
Historic Preservation Division’s role in managing the state’s
archaeological sites. Within the Historic Preservation Division
(HPD), the Archaeological Services Unit is managed by the
State Archaeologist. This unit brings focus and coordination
to a wide variety of programs in resource protection and
management.
Archaeology has changed tremendously since the
passage of the NHPA. Prior to 1966, it was a discipline with a
handful of practioners. Most excavations were carried out by
academic institutions and artifacts became the property of
natural history museums. Today, most excavations of
archaeological sites are carried out by consultants under the
NHPA or other related federal or state laws and regulations.
The results of these excavations are then reviewed by HPD
archaeologists. Georgia’s archaeological consultants are also
active in site preservation and education, as is the Society for
Georgia Archaeology and the Archaeological Conservancy.
The Archaeological Services Unit maintains partnerships with
these organizations to alert the public to the fragile, and often
hidden, clues to our past which often lie just beneath our feet.
For further information, contact the State Archaeologist,
Historic Preservation Division, at 404/656-2840.
WHAT IS ARCHAEOLOGY?
AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT IT?
5
information was gathered from each participant. Detailed questions
were addressed about the communities they had lived in before
moving to Hog Hammock. Questions focused on the location and
social make-up of each settlement, the number and locations of
houses and other cultural landscape features, the economic activities
of individuals and households within the settlement, and the
relationships among residents with those living in other settlements
on the island. The interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed,
allowing for continuing analysis.
With information in hand from the oral-history narratives
and also from the available historical records, the research project
then turned to archaeological survey of the island to locate and
record the physical remains of the old communities and homesteads.
A total of twelve historic Gullah settlements were located (see
accompanying map). Although most of the vacated settlements
were overgrown with dense vegetation, the archaeological remains
of building foundations, chimney falls, and domestic debris were
detected, mapped and photographed.
The oral history and archaeological survey portions of the
research produced volumes of raw data. Organizing and archiving
these data has proceeded, and interpretation and synthesis is an
active project. Additional historical research has been carried out,
including detailed examination of 19th and early 20th century census
records that reveal important demographic information about the
Gullah population of Sapelo Island.
The most recent fieldwork connected with the Sapelo
Gullah Project was limited archaeological excavation at two early
settlements  Behavior and the closely associated New Barn Creek
Site. The buried remains of two small cabins were found that
allowed definition of structural floor plans and architectural details.
The archaeological data speak clearly, giving us material evidence
of creolization among the slaves on Thomas Spalding’s early to
mid 19th century Sapelo plantation. The Gullah slave cabins were
very small, measuring scarcely nine feet long and five feet wide.
Each cabin had an earthen floor and a single doorway midway along
its northern long wall. In a traditional African fashion, most
household activities would have taken place outside the structure.
The house itself was primarily used for sleeping and for shelter
during inclement weather. The walls were constructed of small
wooden posts spaced some six inches apart, with paired posts set in
the rounded corners of the structure. Next, the wall posts were
interlaced tightly with grapevines. The entire framework was
plastered inside and out with tabby mortar, then carefully finished
to reveal a smooth white surface. Roofing materials remain
undetermined at this point, but may have been palmetto thatch.
These small cabins, previously undocumented, are
remarkable examples of the creative blending of African and EuroAmerican traditions by the early Gullah. Native African wattleand-daub construction was modified by replacement of the African
mud with the plantation tabby mortar for the plastered walls,
resulting in a durable wattle-and-tabby Gullah house. The slaves
were well acquainted with tabby preparation, as the sand and burned
shell mixture (usually with added oyster-shell aggregate) was
commonly used elsewhere on Spalding’s plantation. The Gullah
slaves simply adapted it to their own domestic use, reflecting a
basic process of creolization.
Wattle-and-tabby daub from the
Behavior Cabin
showing grape-vine impressions
The Sapelo Gullah Project is far from finished. Much
important and new information remains to be gleaned from the
completed oral history and documentary studies. Each historic
settlement also contains an unexplored archaeological record of
Gullah life. It is certain that other surprises await discovery that
will add to our understanding and appreciation of Gullah.
Excavated Gullah cabin at Behavior
showing base of wattle-and-tabby wall
6
For more information, contact:
Jeanne Cyriaque
African American
Programs Coordinator
Historic Preservation Division
Georgia Department of
Natural Resources
156 Trinity Avenue, S.W.
Suite 101
Atlanta, GA 30303-3600
Voice 404/656-4768
Fax 404/651-8739
jeanne_cyriaque@mail.dnr.state.ga.us
www.gashpo.org
JOHN & EMMA JANE ROUNTREE FARM:
A CENTENNIAL FAMILY FARM
I
n 1891, John Willis Rountree purchased 40 acres of land in Morven, Brooks County,
from James E. Hendry. The land’s boundaries included Hendry’s Mill Creek and
Hendry’s old Steam Grain Mill. A year later, Rountree married Emma Jane Stroud and built a
small log cabin on the farm for their residence. The Rountree family lived on the farm for the
duration of their marriage and raised 15 children there. By 1894, Hendry sold another 25 acres
to Rountree, who continued to buy land near his farmstead. By 1917, he had acquired 84 acres
of farmland.
John Willis Rountree
was a skilled carpenter and
farmer. He built a home for
one of his daughters, a family
farmhouse in 1904, and a
barbershop for one of his sons.
His carpentry skills were often
sought for construction
projects in Morven. He was a
deacon at Siloam Baptist
Church and was instrumental
in the building of a Rosenwald
school in the community. He
encouraged his daughters to
attend Fort Valley Normal and
Industrial School to become
teachers. Rountree’s oldest
son served in World War I.
Emma Jane was an excellent
cook and seamstress. She
canned farm fruits and
vegetables and made clothes
for her daughters.
In the 1930s, the
Rountree farm included barns
for horses, mules, and
tobacco; a cottonhouse; a
smokehouse; and two open
water wells. Rountree used
half of his land for a timber
reserve, providing an
additional source of income
and fuel for farm operations.
Crops produced on the
Rountree farm included
peaches, vegetables, pecans
and tobacco. Twenty-five
acres are currently leased as a
peach orchard. The remaining
37 acres produce corn, pecans
and tobacco.
In 1994, the John & Emma Jane Rountree Farm received the Centennial Family Farm
Award: the first African American family farm to receive this award! Rountree’s grandchildren
and their cousins are the current owners.
John Willis Rountree and his children built this farmhouse circa 1904.
The house contained a guest room, parents’ room, separate boys’
and girls’ rooms, and a dining area inside the large kitchen.
Jeanne Cyriaque
African American
Programs Coordinator
The Rountree farmstead in the 1930s included a farmhouse, several
barns, a corn crib, smokehouse, a mule driven sugar cane grinding
mill and two water wells.
Setting the Record Straight
In the last issue on African American
Centennial Family Farm Awards, the
article failed to include the John &
Emma Jane Rountree Farm. The
farm, while included in the 1994
official list, was not identified as an
African American farm. The editor
thanks Dr. Clyde Hall of Savannah
for sharing this important finding.
GAAHPN is the host
for the 3rd Annual Conference
of the Southeast Regional
African American Preservation
Alliance (SRAAPA) in Augusta,
March 9-11, 2001. The Alliance
is a consortium of southern
organizations that encourage
the preservation of African
American heritage and
properties. SRAAPA provides
technical assistance to
organizations throughout the
southeast in organizing both
local and statewide
preservation networks.
Augusta, Georgia is the host
city for the conference. Conference
attendees will participate in a technical
workshop on Saving African American
Schools in the beautiful surroundings of
Paine College, founded in 1882 as a
training ground for African American
ministers and teachers. Paine College is
a four-year, co-educational, residential
college that is historically bi-racial in
establishment and leadership, and
predominantly African American in
enrollment.
In 1867, Morehouse College,
the nation’s only all-male,
historically African American
institution, was founded in the
basement of Springfield Baptist
Church. Organized in 1787,
Springfield Baptist Church is the
oldest independent African
American church in the nation. The
conference luncheon and additional
technical workshops will be held at
this historic church. Michael
Thurmond, Georgia’s commissioner
of the Department of Labor, is the
featured luncheon speaker.
7
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Please print or type
First Name: Last Name:
Agency/Organization:
Mailing Address:
City State Zip Code
Phone
Fax
E-mail Address:
This registration form must be accompanied by a check for $50 (to
cover conference materials and meals), made payable to SRAAPA.
Registration confirmation and program materials will be sent to
registrants prior to the conference. Mail your check and registration
form to:
Southeast Regional African American Preservation Alliance
c/o Louretta Wimberly
3007 North Broad Street
Selma, AL 36701
Telephone 334/875-5894
If your organization is interested in hosting an exhibit,
please contact 843/722-8552.
An exhibitor contract will be mailed or faxed ASAP.
For additional conference information, please call:
843/722-8552 or e-mail: soro@nthp.org
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
The conference host hotel is the Radisson Riverfront Augusta. A
conference room rate of $99 will be honored subject to availability.
Reservations must be guaranteed with a credit card.
Radisson Riverfront Hotel Augusta
2 Tenth Street
Augusta, GA 30901
Telephone 706/722-8900
Fax 706/724-0044
GAAHPN HOSTS SOUTHEAST REGIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN PRESERVATION ALLIANCE
3RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE - AFRICAN AMERICAN PLACES: A LEGACY TO MAINTAIN
Springfield Baptist Church, in
downtown Augusta, is the site
for technical workshops and
the conference luncheon. The
church was listed in the
National Register of Historic
Places in 1982.
 Photo by James R. Lockhart
Charlotte Frazier, Chair
Georgia African American
Historic Preservation Network
Michael L. Thurmond
Commissioner, Georgia
Department of Labor
Haygood-Holsey Hall
Paine College
The Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network (GAAHPN)
was established in January 1989. It is composed of representatives from
neighborhood organizations and preservation groups throughout the state.
GAAHPN was formed in response to a growing interest in preserving the cultural and
ethnic diversity of Georgia’s African American heritage. This interest has translated
into a number of efforts which emphasize greater recognition of African American
culture and contributions to Georgia’s history. The Network meets regularly to plan
and implement ways to develop programs that will foster heritage education,
neighborhood revitalization, and support community and economic development.
The Network is an informal group of over 500 people from around the state
who have an interest in preservation. Members are briefed on the status of current and
planned projects and are encouraged to offer ideas, comments and suggestions. The
meetings provide an opportunity to share and learn from the preservation experience
of others and to receive technical information through workshops. Members receive a
newsletter, Reflections, produced by the Network. Membership in the Network is
open to all, and Georgians are invited to find out more about their work.
ABOUT GAAHPN
This publication has been financed in part with federal
funds from the National Park Service, Department of the
Interior, through the Historic Preservation Division,
Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The contents
and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or
policies of the Department of the Interior, nor does the
mention of trade names, commercial products or
consultants constitute endorsement or recommendation
by the Department of the Interior or the Georgia
Department of Natural Resources. The Department
of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis
of race, color, national origin, or disability in its
federally assisted programs. If you believe you have
been discriminated against in any program, activity, or
facility, or if you desire more information, write to: Office
for Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1849 C
Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240.
Published quarterly by the
Historic Preservation Division
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
W. Ray Luce, Division Director &
Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer
Jeanne Cyriaque, Editor
A Program of the
Historic Preservation Division
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
156 Trinity Avenue, S.W.
Suite 101
Atlanta, GA 30303-3600