Reflections- Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network, Vol. 11, no. 2 (Apr. 2013)

Volume XI, No. 2 April 2013
Jeanne Cyriaque, African American Programs Coordinator
Historic Preservation Division
continued on page 2
PAINE COLLEGE:
EDUCATING AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS SINCE 1882
P
aine College is a private, liberal arts college located southwest
of the central business district on Fifteenth Street in Augusta,
Georgia. The college was founded in 1882 through a biracial
partnership, as the institution emerged from the leadership of the
Methodist Episcopal Church South (MEC-S) and the Colored
Methodist Episcopal Church (CME). Today, these churches are
known as the United Methodist Church and the Christian Methodist
Episcopal Church, respectively, but these nineteenth century
founders were visionaries in creating an institution that would meet
both the spiritual and educational needs of students not long
removed from slavery.
Bishop Lucius Holsey of the CME Church conceived the
idea for the college in 1869. He pitched his idea to leaders of the
MEC-S, noting the need
for preachers and teachers
in the African American
communities that were
emerging in the South.
The leaders agreed, and
the initial Board of
Trustees consisted of six
members, with three each
from the white and black
churches. When they
met in November 1882,
they named the school
Paine Institute in honor
of Bishop Robert Paine
of MEC-S. Bishop Paine
was instrumental in
establishing the CME
Church. Within a month
they selected Dr. Morgan
Callaway as the first
The Gilbert-Lambuth Memorial Chapel is one of Paine College’s iconic buildings on the
west campus. The chapel was designed by Kuhlke and Wade architects of Augusta.
Photo by Charlie Miller
president of Paine Institute. They also
expanded the board to include 19
members so they could recruit outside
of Georgia to raise additional funds
for the college. Subsequently, Bishop
Holsey expanded his fundraising
throughout the southeast, collecting
small amounts to support the school.
Paine’s first significant gift was from
Reverend Atticus Haygood of the
MEC-S. Haygood donated $2,000 to
support President Callaway during his
first year.
Paine Institute was
incorporated in 1883, and
the trustees elected Dr.
George Williams Walker
as its first teacher. He
would become the
second president of the
institution, a post he held
until his death in 1910.
Paine Institute held its
first classes in 1884 in
rented space on Broad
Street in downtown
Augusta, and moved to
its present site on
Fifteenth Street in 1886.
Paine Institute received
a generous $25,000
donation in 1888 from
Reverend Moses U. Payne
Bishop Lucius Holsey
2
Jeanne Cyriaque, continued from page 1
PAINE COLLEGE:
EDUCATING AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS SINCE 1882
of MEC-S. John Wesley
Gilbert, Paine’s first student
and graduate, became the first
African American faculty
member that same year. At first
Paine Institute started with a
high school department that
was active until 1945. By 1903,
sufficient college-level classes
justified its name change to
Paine College.
The initial land for the
campus totaled a 9.9 acre tract,
although the campus now
occupies 37 acres. Some of
Paine College’s first buildings
were an 1850 Gothic Revival
house that was renamed
Holsey Hall, the 1899 Haygood
Hall that was the college’s first
academic and administration
building, and the 1899 President’s House. Haygood Hall was lost due
to a fire in 1968, and the other buildings have not survived.
The oldest building on the campus today is Epworth Hall.
It is a two-story, Colonial Revival-style brick dormitory. Epworth
Hall was designed by Tisdale, Stone and Pinson of Nashville,
Tennessee. The dormitory faces the north-south quadrangle on
the campus. Funding for the building was provided by the Epworth
League of MEC-S, at a total cost of $55,000 in 1925. Defining features
of the dormitory are six-over-six sash windows.
In 1926, Mary Helm Hall, the home economics building
was constructed. Tisdale, Stone and Pinson also designed this
Colonial Revival-style building that looks south onto the
quadrangle. It is a two-story, brick building with a basement. The
Women’s Domestic Missionary Council of MEC-S funded the
building’s construction.
The Warren A. Candler Memorial Library, designed by
William N. Parsons, an architect of Augusta, was Paine College’s
first freestanding library. Prior to its construction, the library was
located in Haygood Hall. Completed in 1947, striking features of
the Classical Revival-style building include Ionic columns on the
second floor atop the first floor entrance arcade. Building materials
consist of stucco on the main floor and Flemish-bond brick on the
second floor. The library was located on the second floor while
administrative offices were located on the first floor. The building
is named in honor of one of Paine’s co-founders, Bishop Warren A.
Candler of MEC-S. The building was used as a library until CollinsCalloway Library was constructed in 1991. The Candler building is
used today for administrative offices and special events.
The Warren A. Candler Memorial Library was completed in 1947.
The building was repurposed for use as administrative offices
and special events in 1991. Photo by Charlie Miller
The Augusta architectural firm of Kuhlke and Wade
designed the 1956 Walker Science Hall. This building is used for
classrooms and office space. It has elements of the Colonial Revivalstyle. The United Negro College Fund provided $300,000 towards
Epworth Hall, built in 1925, is the oldest extant building on the
Paine College campus. Photo by Charlie Miller
Participants from a This Place Matters conference visited Paine
College and Mary Helm Hall on a community tour in 2011. Each
year Historic Augusta and the Lucy Craft Laney Museum sponsors
the conference to raise awareness of Augusta’s African American
cultural resources.
The Class of 1901
Source: www.paine.edu
3
The Walker Science Hall was constructed in 1956 through the
Capital Funds Program of the United Negro College Fund.
Photo by Charlie Miller
its construction. The building is named in honor of George Williams
Walker, a founder and president of Paine College from 1884-1911.
Hollis Hall, a dormitory, was built in 1967. The dormitory
was designed by V.M. Piland of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Another 1967
dormitory is Ervin Hall. C.I.T. Corporation designed and built the
dormitory with a flat roof and entrances at each end of the building.
Wheeler C. Ervin was the business manager for Paine College. He
also served on the Richmond County Board of Education from
1953-1956.
By 1967, the west campus became home to the GilbertLambuth Memorial Chapel and Music Building. Kuhlke, Wade and
Gauger designed this iconic building on Druid Park Avenue. The
brick chapel is a Colonial Revival-style building. The central tower
supports a tall steeple. The chapel is named in honor of Dr. John
Wesley Gilbert and Bishop Walter Russell Lambuth. Gilbert was
Paine’s first African American faculty member who graduated in
1886 while Lambuth was a physician and trustee of the college.
The International Style Peters Campus Center was built in
1969. Tinted windows and a flat roof are defining elements of the
design by Edmund Kuhlke. A separate block with exterior walls of
glass houses the cafeteria. The campus center is named for Edmund
Peters, Paine College President from 1929-1956 and his wife, Ethel,
who was the college physician.
Dr. Lucius Holsey Pitts
became the first African American
president of Paine College in 1971.
When he died in 1974 he was buried
on campus next to Gilbert-Lambuth
Memorial Chapel. Dr. Julius S. Scott
continued Pitts’ vision of rebuilding
Haygood Hall, which was completed
in 1978. During Scott’s second term,
the Collins-Calloway Library was
constructed. Dr. Shirley A.R. Lewis was
Paine’s first female president. Dr. Lewis
served from 1994-2007. Dr. George C.
Bradley succeeded her in January 2008,
and is Paine College’s current president. Dr. Bradley is implementing
a new campus master plan.
Paine College Historic District was listed in the National
Register of Historic Places on December 26, 2012. The period of
significance dates from 1919 when Lion Field was established as an
athletic field, to 1971, when Graham Hall was completed. Graham
Hall is an International Style brick dormitory with steel-framed, glass
window panels. It was designed by Kuhlke, Wade, Gauger and
Slaton of Augusta on an L-shaped plan with a connecting onestory entrance and lobby area.
The contributing buildings in the historic district were
built from 1925-1971. These buildings represent the campus
landscape and transition from classical design to modernism. Three
campus buildings were completed after 1971 and are considered
noncontributing because of their age. These include the 1977
Haygood-Holsey Hall, the 1987 Berry-Gomillion Hall, and the 2002
Campus Security Building.
The Peters Campus Center was constructed in 1969. It is an
International Style building designed by Edmund Kuhlke with
large expanses of tinted glass. Photo by Charlie Miller
Dr. George C. Bradley
Kuhlke and Wade also designed dormitories for Paine
College. In 1962, they constructed Gray and Belle Bennett Hall(s)
that are two-story brick buildings located adjacent to Epworth Hall.
The Division of National Ministries MEC-S was a major contributor
for both dormitories and the Georgia Railroad Bank financed loans
for the buildings.
Many of the buildings on the Paine College campus were designed
by the Augusta firm of Kuhlke and Wade. Graham Hall is an
International Style dormitory with a flat roof and steel-framed
glass window panels. Photo by Charlie Miller
4
Jeanne Cyriaque, African American Programs Coordinator
Historic Preservation Division
AMY LOTSON ROBERTS RECEIVES GOVERNOR’S AWARD
I
t is no surprise that Amy Lotson Roberts is a 2012 recipient of the
Governor’s Awards in the Arts & Humanities. She joined nine
other individuals and two organizations that were nominated by
their communities to receive the prestigious award at the state capitol
last fall, with Governor Nathan Deal and First Lady Sandra Deal
presiding. The Georgia Humanities Council, the Georgia Council
for the Arts and the Georgia Department of Economic Development
were partners in honoring these individuals and organizations who
have made significant contributions to Georgia’s civic and cultural
heritage through service to the humanities or excellence in the arts.
Each 2012 Governor’s Award was hand crafted by Atlanta artist
Matt Moulthrop. He created a signature piece for each recipient
crafted in wood, a skill he has mastered as a third generation
wood turner.
Governor Nathan Deal congratulates Amy
Lotson Roberts at the awards ceremony in
the State Capitol rotunda.
Amy Lotson Roberts is a native of St. Simons Island. She
is the executive director of the St. Simons African American Heritage
Coalition. Every year, she and members of the coalition celebrate
the island’s cultural and musical heritage by hosting the Georgia
Sea Island Festival. Amy is also engaged in other activities to
showcase the island’s Gullah Geechee heritage by conducting tours
of St. Simons cultural resources associated with African American
heritage and culture. She is a champion and leader in efforts to
save the Harrington Graded School, the island’s historic
schoolhouse built for African Americans during segregation.
Amy Lotson Roberts is one of the island alumni who
attended the Harrington Graded School. For years it was the only
African American school on St. Simons Island, as many students
who lived in Jewtown, South End and the Harrington communities
went to school there from 1925 when the schoolhouse was
constructed until 1954-55 when integration came. In the 1970s the
schoolhouse began to deteriorate just as the island demographics
began changing from 75% African American to 10% today.
Amy and other residents founded the St. Simons African
American Heritage Coalition to preserve the heritage and culture
of the island. Isadora Hunter donated her portion of the land
where the school is located to the St. Simons Land Trust in 2004.
More recently, in 2011 the Land Trust and Glynn County provided
a 99-year lease to the coalition to preserve the building. Faced with
possible demolition, the school was listed in the Georgia Trust
Places in Peril, and this garnered additional support for the
structure, and led to the formation of Friends of the Harrington
School, the nonprofit who is leading its preservation.
When she is not busy with fundraising for the Harrington
School, Amy Lotson Roberts conducts guided tours of African
American historic sites on the island, including the tabby cabins
from Hamilton Plantation, sacred places, and community landmarks
like the schoolhouse. She and members of the coalition are planning
the annual Georgia Sea Island Festival at Gascoigne Park-Epworth
on June 1 and 2, 2013. For more information, visit their website,
www.ssiheritagecoalition.org or call the festival committee at
912.634.0330.
Amy Roberts (center) and Patty Carter Deveau (left standing),
president of Friends of the Harrington School, celebrate the
new roof with supporters of the schoolhouse at the January
2013 annual meeting. Photo by Danielle Ross
The Harrington Graded School is one of Amy Lotson
Robert’s humanities initiatives. She and the Friends of the
Harrington School are raising funds for its preservation as
a community center. Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
5
Jeanne Cyriaque, African American Programs Coordinator
Historic Preservation Division
THE CITY OF WASHINGTON DEDICATES BLACK PATRIOTS MONUMENT
On August 11, 2012 the City of Washington dedicated a
monument on the town square to the black patriots who fought
in the Revolutionary War. Washington has long recognized the
importance of their town in the Revolutionary War. Founded in
1780, Washington is believed to be one of the first towns in the
United States to be named in honor of George Washington.
Mayor Ames Barnett, former Mayor Willie E. Burns and the City Council
of Washington unveil the Black Patriots Monument on the town square.
Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
During the American Revolution, the Battle of Kettle Creek
took place just outside of Washington in Wilkes County on February
14, 1779. Colonel John Boyd led a force of 600 British Loyalists or
Tories to a camp around Kettle Creek. Simultaneously, 340 South
Carolinian and Georgia militiamen, led by Colonel Andrew Pickens
of South Carolina, Colonel John Dooly and Lieutenant Colonel
Elijah Clarke of Georgia, intercepted their troops. Colonel Boyd
was killed in the skirmish, and the Loyalists were driven across the
creek. The Battle of Kettle Creek was a victory for the rebel patriots,
who demonstrated that support for the British cause in the Georgia
backcountry was not as strong as believed, as Wilkes County
remained under control of the Continental Army.
One ploy that the Loyalists used was to offer freedom to
enslaved men in exchange for their military service. Most of the
5,000-8,000 African Americans who served in the Revolutionary
War were from the north because of southern opposition to arming
enslaved men. Austin Dabney of Wilkes County was an exception
to this rule. Dabney lived from ca. 1765-1830. He was born in North
Carolina and moved with his master, Richard Aycock, to Wilkes
County in the late 1770s. When Aycock was conscripted for the
Georgia militia, Dabney went in his place because Aycock alleged
that he was a free man. Dabney fought with Elijah Clarke’s troops
in the Battle of Kettle Creek. During the battle, a rifle ball struck
Dabney in his thigh, severely wounding and crippling him. Giles
Harris, a white soldier, saved Dabney’s life and took him home.
Dabney remembered this act of kindness and worked for the Harris
family the rest of his life.
In 1786, Austin Dabney was awarded 500 acres of land by
the Georgia legislature for his military service during the American
Revolution, as well as his emancipation from Richard Aycock.
Dabney continued to work for the Harris family, and financially
assisted his son, William through his studies at Franklin College
(later the University of Georgia).
During the land lotteries in the 1800s, Dabney was denied
land due to his race, but Harris and fellow attorney Stephen Upson
sponsored a resolution to provide him with land. In 1821, Dabney
received 112 acres in Walton County. He also received $60
annually for his invalid pension and an increase in 1816 to
$96 for the wound he
endured at Kettle Creek.
Austin Dabney
continued his relationship
with the Harris family, and
followed them to Walton and
Pike Counties. In 1835, William
Harris named his son Austin
Dabney Harris. Austin
Dabney left his fortune upon
his death in 1830 to the Harris
family, and is buried at the
family plot in Zebulon, Pike
County. In 2010 the Sons of the
American Revolution held a
patriot grave marking ceremony
at Austin Dabney’s burial site
with the Harris family descendants.
The Washington
Black Patriots monument was
erected to recognize Austin
Dabney and other black
patriots who fought during the
American Revolution. The
three-piece granite and bronze
monument was designed by
sculptor Kinzey Branham, a
UGA instructor. He found an
image of James Armistead
Lafayette to use as inspiration
for the bust. Armistead, like
Dabney, was an American
Revolution hero who served as
a “double agent” while serving
under General Marquis de
Lafayette. His intelligence
reports were instrumental in
defeating the British during the
Battle of Yorktown.
Sculptor Kinzey Branham was
inspired by portraits of James
Armistead Lafayette and used those
images to create the bronze bust that
is the centerpiece of the Black Patriots
Monument. Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
Flags and the SAR symbol were
placed at the grave of Austin Dabney
in Pike County. Source: www.sar.org
6
VIENNA HIGH AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL
LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
Danielle Ross, African American Programs Assistant
Historic Preservation Division
Georgia Equalization schools were a result of a program
implemented by Governor Herman Talmadge. The Minimum
Foundation Program for Education allowed for the construction
of modern schools for African-American communities across the
state. By 1955, Georgia spent approximately $275 million dollars
on public schools. By 1962, the state built 700 schools for whites
and 500 schools for blacks.
buildings were added later. The Vienna County Training School
served pre-kindergarten students once the county was integrated,
and was continuously used as a school until 2004. Today, the old
County Training School houses the Dooly County Family
Connections program and community meetings. The Rosenwald
School complex was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
on April 7, 2010.
Vienna High and Industrial School was one of 500 African American schools
in Georgia that were constructed as a response to Brown vs. Board. It
served as Dooly County’s African American high school until integration.
Photo by James R. Lockhart
In the 1958 Department of Education Annual Report of
Georgia Schools, the status of facility improvements and program
evaluations for African-American schools were discussed as being
substantially improved. “During 1957-58, the Division of Negro
Education stepped-up its emphasis on the accreditation of Negro
schools to make available to Negro children and youth good
education.” The improvements ranged from schools being staffed
with trained black teachers who taught an improved academic
curriculum to better classrooms, libraries, and science labs. In
addition to its improved facilities, the school’s students put on
various programs such as plays and pageants. The program enacted
by the governor replaced over 3,000 small, poorly built black
schools with the modern, international schools that we see
remnants of today. Vienna High and Industrial School served as
the equalization high school for Dooly County and was completed
in 1959.
Vienna High and Industrial School was listed in the
National Register of Historic Places on December 19, 2012. The
school is located between the Southern Railway line and Georgia
Route 27 on the east side of Vienna, the Dooly County seat. Dooly
County, founded in 1821, is one of the oldest counties in Georgia.
Dooly County was created through the Georgia Land Lottery Act.
Vienna High and Industrial is located adjacent to the community’s
Rosenwald School that was also named the Vienna High and
Industrial School. The previous Rosenwald School was a single
story, six-teacher, brick County Training School. Two classroom
Larger classrooms in the Vienna High and Industrial School had windows
surrounded by an open courtyard. Photo by Charlie Miller
Vienna’s International Style school was designed by the
Atlanta architectural firm of Stevens and Wilkinson. Stevens and
Wilkinson designed over 150 equalization schools across the state
of Georgia. The architecture firm was established in 1919 originally
under the name Burge and Stevens until in 1947, Wilkinson was
made partner. He formed the firm known today as Stevens and
Wilkinson. Stevens and Wilkinson became known as one of the
major leaders in the City of Atlanta for modern architecture. Their
architecture was based on the functionalism and economy of design
elements. Stevens and Wilkinson designed a number of buildings in
The 1926 Rosenwald School lies adjacent to the 1959 equalization school
complex. This building is adaptively used today as a community center.
Photo by James R. Lockhart
75
the Atlanta area that served as schools, department stores,
hospitals, and corporate offices. Some of their most recognized
projects include the Callaway Apartments on Georgia Institute
of Technology’s campus and the E. Rivers Elementary School,
both in Atlanta.
The International Style that Stevens and Wilkinson used
for the Vienna High and Industrial School is a style of architecture
that is rarely found in Georgia. The style was brought from Europe
to the United States in the 1930s as a result of European architects
wanting to break from historical precedent. International Style
architecture consists of geometric shapes that reflect the structural
Curtain windows designed by Stevens and Wilkinson are design
elements that face an open courtyard at the East View Center in
Americus. The building houses the Sumter County Crossroads
Program and Head Start today. Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
skeleton of the building. The roof on an International Style building
is always flat, and the windows and doors are flush. In many
instances the windows are grouped in bands and wrap around
corners as seen on the Vienna school. The shape of most
International Style buildings is asymmetrical. Vienna is a 29,000
square foot school and is one of the largest equalization schools in
the State of Georgia. The school housed 23 classrooms for the 23
teachers that worked there. Vienna High and Industrial School
offered a mixture of elementary and high school classes; the
elementary classes were for first through seventh grade and the
remainder of the school served as a high school for grades 8-12.
In many cases during the process of integration, many
African American principals and teachers were demoted or lost
their jobs to existing administration from the local white schools.
In the case of the Vienna High and Industrial, the principal of the
Vienna High and Industrial School remained as the principal of the
integrated Vienna High School. The principal, Napoleon Williams,
served as a councilman for the City of Vienna and served as the
administrator for his family’s
funeral home. The principal of
the local white school partnered
with Williams to facilitate an easy
transition to integration. Dr.
Williams served as a co-author
of Who’s Who Among Negro
Principals, Jeanes, Curriculum
Directors, and State Instructional
Consultants in Georgia: 1954-
1964. Williams served as the
principal of the new high
school for five years after
integration. Dooly County
recognized Dr. Williams by
naming two schools in his
honor: Napoleon Williams
Elementary School and N. Williams Health and Physical
Education Building.
Vienna High and Industrial School has a total of three
contributing buildings in the National Register nomination. The
three buildings consist of the main school building, industrial shop,
and the cafeteria. Presently, a proposal has been made to reuse the
school as a community center. The proposed center would serve as
a fitness/wellness center, convention, dining and performance venue.
The City of Vienna is planning to put a new roof on the building
when environmental repairs are completed.
For more information on equalization schools, see the
historic context by Steven Moffson, Equalization Schools in
Georgia’s African -American Communities, 1951-1970 on the
Historic Preservation Division website, historic resources, African
American, at www.georgiashpo.org.
The Vienna High and Industrial School consisted of separate wings
for graded classes and an industrial shop. Photo by Charlie Miller
This photo of Napolean Williams
appeared in The Kingdom of Dooly.
Stevens and Wilkinson also designed curtain windows
in this interior hallway in the Vienna High and
Industrial School. Photo by Charlie Miller
The Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network (GAAHPN)
was established in January 1989. It is composed of representatives from
neighborhood organizations and preservation groups. GAAHPN was formed
in response to a growing interest in preserving the cultural and built 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 GAAHPN Steering Committee plans and implements 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 3,000 people 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. Visit the Historic Preservation Division website at
www.georgiashpo.org. Preservation information and previous issues of Reflections are
available online. Membership in the Network is free and open to all.
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
Dr. David Crass, Division Director
Jeanne Cyriaque, Editor
Lillian Davis
Dr. Gerald C. & Barbara Golden
Terry & Cynthia Hayes
Richard Laub
Kenneth Rollins
Isaac Johnson, Chair
706/738-1901
Velmon Allen, Vice-Chair
GAAHPN Network
912/261-1898
STEERING COMMITTEE
Isaac Johnson
Chairman
Jeanne Cyriaque
African American
Programs Coordinator
Reflections Editor
Voice 404/656-4768
Fax 404/657-1368
jeanne.cyriaque@dnr.state.ga.us
STAFF
8
Since its first issue appeared in December 2000, Reflections has documented
hundreds of Georgia’s African American historic resources. Now all of these
articles are available on the Historic Preservation Division website
www.georgiashpo.org. Search for links to your topic by categories: cemeteries, churches,
districts, farms, lodges, medical, people, places, schools, and theatres. You can now
subscribe to Reflections from the homepage. Reflections is a recipient of a Leadership
in History Award from the American Association for State and Local History
ABOUT REFLECTIONS
Danielle Ross
African American
Programs Assistant
Voice 404/657-1054
Fax 404/657-1368
danielle.ross@dnr.state.ga.us