Reflections (Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network), Vol. 2, no. 1 (Dec. 2001)

A Program of the Historic Preservation Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
DESTINATION December 2001 THOMASVILLE:
STEVENS STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT
Volume II, No. 1
continued on page 2
Thomas County, near the Florida border in southwest Georgia,
was founded in 1825, by combining parts of surrounding
Irwin and Decatur counties. Nestled among piney woods is
Thomasville, the county seat. Thomasville, the “city of roses,”
developed as the center of political, religious, and educational
institutions for the region. One block northwest of the Thomas
County Courthouse and the central business district is the Stevens
Street Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic
Places on May 10, 2001. The nomination was sponsored by
Thomasville Landmarks, Inc.
In 1853, Stevens Street was initially developed in a gridiron
pattern sloping towards two creeks. When the railroad was built in
the 1860s, whites
began to abandon
the Stevens Street
area due to noise
from the railroad
and commercial
activity. During
the same period,
the new freedmen
left plantations
and moved into
the area seeking
employment, and
Stevens Street
evolved into an
African American
neighborhood.
The Stevens Street Historic District includes 341 buildings,
most of them dwellings varying from shotgun houses and Craftsman
style bungalows to two-story Colonial Revival and Greek Revival
residences. Contributing historic properties in the district also
include churches, a school, and two recreation centers. West of
the Stevens Street Historic District is the Dawson Street Historic
District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places on
September 7, 1984. This district is a white neighborhood developed
during the same period. “Jim Crow” segregation practices influenced
the development of these socially separate communities. Many of
the African American residents in the Stevens Street community
were servants or laborers for white families in the Dawson Street
community. In some instances, African American craftsmen built
many of the affluent homes in the nearby white community.
Regardless of social or economic status, African Americans were
forced to live in the Stevens Street neighborhood. This factor
influenced architectural patterns reflecting a mix of middle and
working class housing stock in the same neighborhood.
This residence was once known as the Recreation
Center. It was built by W.E. Gibson, an African
American brick mason, circa 1920. The recreation
center featured a swimming pool in the backyard.
In 1938, the Gibson family converted the brick
building into a family residence. It is a community
landmark building in the Stevens Street Historic
District of Thomasville. Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
The Mitchell-Young-Anderson House, 319 Oak Street, is a contributing
resource in Thomasville’s Stevens Street Historic District. Built in the late
1800s, the residence was once a brothel. Sam and Emma Young purchased
the home in 1909. Sam Young, an African American carpenter, converted
the downstairs’ dance hall into additional bedrooms for his family. In
1940, Virginia Anderson, Young’s granddaughter, inherited the family
home. She and her husband, Essic, started “Rosebud Tourist Home” to
provide lodging for African American travelers. Today, Jule C. Anderson,
her daughter, operates the home as a bed & breakfast inn. For information,
call 229/226-3463 or email Jule Anderson: edjuleucationaltours@hotmail.com.
Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
African American congressman from Georgia since Reconstruction.
President Jimmy Carter appointed Young U.S. Ambassador to the
United Nations in 1977. He subsequently served two terms as mayor
of Atlanta and was a co-chair of the Atlanta Committee for the
Olympic Games. Bethany Congregational Church was listed in
the National Register of Historic Places on March 7, 1985.
2
continued from page 1
THOMASVILLE’S EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS
STEVENS STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT
Dr. William J. Mosley, an African
American physician, owned this home
while practicing family medicine in
Thomasville from 1913-1920.
How were African Americans educated in Thomasville in the
years following the Civil War? As Reconstruction began, a
number of schools were operated under the auspices of the
Freedmen’s Bureau. By 1868, there were three to five schools in
Thomasville, each averaging up to 60 pupils. When the Freedmen’s
Bureau closed in 1869, African American schools were adversely
impacted by insufficient funds and few teachers, and became
dependent on state and local appropriations. Freedmen continued
to operate private institutions, and received help from the religious
community to continue their educational pursuits.
The American Missionary Association (AMA) founded a
number of private schools and colleges for African Americans
during this period. In 1885, AMA received a $10,000 gift of
property owned by Mrs. F.L. Allen of Waterbury, Connecticut.
Mrs. Allen owned a hotel known as the Allen House, in Quitman,
Brooks County, and wanted to use the facility for a school for
African Americans. The Congregational Church of Waterbury
raised funds to convert the hotel, and provided three teachers and a
principal. When the school opened in October 1885, five boarding
students and 40 community pupils attended classes. The African
American community was elated with the opening of the school.
However, the white community refused to visit the school, and
faculty members were often insulted while off campus. Six weeks
after the school opened, a mysterious fire destroyed all the campus
buildings. Surrounding communities, including Thomasville,
submitted proposals for the school to relocate to neighboring towns.
In 1886, the AMA opened the school in a one-story frame
building on a lot provided by the City of Thomasville. By 1887, a
larger, three-story building was constructed. The school was
initially called “Allen Normal and Industrial School for Colored
Girls.” By 1891, with enrollment exceeding 200 pupils, the name
was changed to the “Allen Normal and Industrial School.” Allen
Normal and Industrial School offered classes for primary, grammar,
and intermediate grades. The
curriculum included classes in
sewing and nursing for
women, skill training for men,
and teacher training.
As the population of
Allen Normal and Industrial
School soared, the AMA built
Bethany Congregational
Church in 1891 opposite the
campus to meet the religious
needs of students. When Allen
Normal and Industrial School
closed in 1933, Bethany
Congregational Church became the
neighborhood church for the surrounding
African American community. In 1955,
an energetic, newly ordained minister of
the United Church of Christ, Reverend
Andrew Young, became the pastor.
Young organized youth programs at
Bethany and a Thomasville voter
registration drive. Reverend Young
would eventually become a leading aide
for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and
executive director of the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference. In
1972, Andrew Young was elected the first
PEBBLE HILL PLANTATION
Following the end of the Civil War, Northern tourists visited the
Thomasville area to escape the harsh winter climates. Thomasville
became a winter resort area, as Northern visitors built summer
homes there and hunted game on many plantations in the Red Hills
between Thomasville and Tallahassee, Florida. These tourists
gradually purchased many of the plantations in the area.
In 1895, Pebble Hill Plantation was acquired by the Hanna
family. In 1901, Mel Hanna gave his daughter, Kate Hanna Ireland,
the main house and surrounding land at Pebble Hill. Gradually,
This home was owned by Dr. Martin
Luther Walton, the first African
American dentist in Thomasville.
The Allen Normal and Industrial
School campus included a three-story
classroom building and housing for
students and faculty. The Allen Normal
Alumni Association provides an annual
scholarship to descendants of former
students. Photo courtesy of Jack Hadley
Black History Memorabilia, Inc.
Bethany
Congregational Church
The home on the left provided housing for Bethany Congregational Church
ministers and their families. On the right is the Allen Normal and Industrial
School faculty residence. These homes are the last remaining buildings from
the Allen Normal and Industrial School campus.
“Jim Crow” racial segregation practices also influenced
the development of African American businesses in Thomasville.
From 1890-1915, African Americans developed a second downtown
area on Jackson Street. Commercial businesses included a drug
store, grocery store, and carriage repair shop. By the 1970s,
following integration, these commercial buildings gradually
deteriorated, and were destroyed.
she acquired 4,000 acres of land, and each year she would bring
her two children, Robert Livingston, and Elizabeth “Pansy” to
Pebble Hill to escape the winter in Cleveland, Ohio. She was an
avid sportswoman, and gradually developed Pebble Hill into a quail
hunting preserve. She also raised a championship herd of Jersey
cattle, horses, and dogs to support the hunts. Kate Hanna Ireland
was divorced in 1919, and married Perry Williams Harvey in 1923.
Mrs. Harvey established two schools at Pebble Hill to
provide education through 7th grade for children of the African
American families who worked on the plantation. She also
provided free housing and gardens for each family. A nurse’s
office was established through the Visiting Nurse’s Association to
meet the medical needs of the families. Each year, Easter,
Emancipation Day (May 20th), and Christmas were major holidays
for the staff and their families. These celebrations included food,
games and gifts from the Harvey
family. When Mrs. Harvey died
in 1936, “Pansy” Ireland inherited
the plantation, and continued
preservation of the estate. Ms.
Ireland expanded Pebble Hill
operations to include thoroughbred
horses, and she increased the
hunting dog kennel to over 100
animals. She married Parker
Barrington Poe in 1946, and founded
the nonprofit Pebble Hill Foundation
(PHF). Since her death in 1978,
PHF has opened the plantation
main house and grounds for public
viewing. Pebble Hill Plantation was
listed in the National Register of
Historic Places on February 23, 1990.
Dennis Hadley, a Pebble Hill chauffeur, worked on Pebble
Hill for 53 years while his wife, Rosetta, raised 14 children! One
of their sons, James “Jack” Hadley, has collected memorabilia on
African American history and implemented several preservation
projects. In 1997, Jack Hadley developed a Black Heritage Trail
Tour Guide from private donations. The guide identifies 40 African
American historical sites in Thomasville. He uses the guide for
Step On, Step Off tours he organizes for family reunions and special
events. Hadley’s next preservation project evolved from his
collection of photographs from PHF archives of African American
staff at Pebble Hill. He developed a partnership with the Thomas
County Museum of History, and they received a grant from the
Georgia Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the
Humanities to develop a publication. Hadley and Dr. Titus Brown,
a history professor at Florida A&M University, enhanced the
publication by collecting oral histories from 16 former employees
who lived and worked on Pebble Hill and other hunting plantations.
Their book, African American Life on the Southern Hunting
Plantation, was published in 2000 by Arcadia. It is available at
the Thomas County Museum of History and local bookstores, or
can be ordered through Jack Hadley’s Black History Memorabilia,
Inc. For further information about the book or tours, contact 229/
228-6983 or jachadle@rose.net. The Thomas County Museum of
History features a permanent exhibit of all Thomasville plantations.
3
LIEUTENANT HENRY OSSIAN FLIPPER
Henry Ossian Flipper was born
a slave on March 21, 1856. He
was the oldest of five sons, and his
parents were Festus and Isabella
Buckhalter Flipper. Festus Flipper was
owned by Ephraim Ponder, a
Thomasville city alderman, while
Isabella and the children were enslaved
by Rev. Reuben Lucky, a Methodist
minister. Festus Flipper was a skilled
shoemaker and carriage repairman, and
Ponder permitted him to earn additional
income. By the outbreak of the Civil
War, Flipper saved enough money to
loan Ponder for the purchase of Isabella and the boys. The Flipper
family moved to Atlanta with Ephraim Ponder in 1861. By 1873,
while a freshman at Atlanta University, Henry Flipper received an
appointment to the U.S. Military Academy.
When Henry Ossian Flipper arrived at West Point, the
Academy curriculum focused on military tactics, while providing
training in engineering, geology, French and Spanish. On June
14, 1877, he graduated and received his commission as a second
lieutenant in the U.S. Army. While other African American cadets
were admitted to West Point, Flipper was the first to graduate. His
first assignment was with the Tenth U.S. Calvary, an all-black
regiment, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He supervised installation of
telegraph lines and a drainage system to control floodwaters and
erosion. This drainage system was significant in combating malariainfested mosquitoes. Today, a bronze marker in Oklahoma
commemorates his accomplishment, and “Flipper’s Ditch” was
designated a National Historic Landmark in 1977.
While assigned to Fort Davis, Texas, Lt. Flipper was
appointed post quartermaster and commissary agent. When a
discrepancy totaling $1,440 was discovered in an audit, Flipper
was accused of embezzlement, and “conduct unbecoming an officer
and gentleman.” Following court-martial proceedings, he was
cleared of the embezzlement charges, but dismissed from the U.S.
Army on June 30, 1882.
Henry Ossian Flipper continued his career as a civilian
engineer and surveyor in El Paso, Texas. He conducted land grant
surveys, developed expertise in translation of Spanish mining laws,
and wrote two autobiographies: The Colored Cadet at West Point
and Black Frontiersman – the Memoirs of Henry O. Flipper. Despite
these successes in civilian life, Lt. Flipper attempted to clear his
name until his death in 1940.
Thomasville memorializes the accomplishments of Henry
Ossian Flipper. The Thomas County Library has a room named in
his honor, with a bronze bust, and his honorable discharge, awarded
in 1976. Lt. Flipper is buried in Old Magnolia Cemetery next to
his parents. In 1998, Thomasville dedicated a post office in his
honor, and Jack Hadley is spearheading a campaign to memorialize
Flipper in a U.S. postage stamp. President William J. Clinton
pardoned Lt. Flipper in 1999. Information about this Thomasville
hero is available at the Thomasville Museum of History and Jack
Hadley Black History Memorabilia, Inc.
Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper
Piney Grove Missionary Baptist
Church, organized in 1885, was
built by Kate Ireland Harvey for
African American families who
lived on Pebble Hill Plantation.
4
STATE TEACHERS AND AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE (THE HUBBARD SCHOOL) Robert Ciucevich
Historic Preservation Planner, Middle Georgia Regional Development Center
The Hubbard Elementary School, in Forsyth, Monroe County,
is located on the former campus of the State Teachers and
Agricultural College (STAC). William Merida Hubbard founded
the school in 1900, and it was incorporated in 1902 as the Forsyth
Normal and Industrial School. The
school’s mission was to prepare African
American teachers for the education of
black youth in Monroe and surrounding
counties. In 1916, the school became a
senior high school. By 1917, the school
attained county Training School status
and was classified an A class accredited
high school. As a result of the SmithHughes Act of 1918, the Forsyth Normal
and Industrial School became the first
African American vocational school in
Georgia. The following year Principal
Hubbard successfully petitioned the
Monroe County Board of Education to make all of the African
American schools in the county branch schools of the Forsyth
Normal and Industrial School. In 1922, the Georgia General
Assembly passed legislation to make the Forsyth Normal and
Industrial School the “school for agricultural and mechanical arts
for the training of Negroes.” In 1927, the school became a junior
college. By the end of the 1920s, the school enrolled over 2,000
students, offering day, night, correspondence, and summer school
classes, with 17 regular teachers and 27 instructors for summer
school. The school owned approximately half of the institution’s
farmland, totaling over 300 acres.
In 1931, the Georgia General Assembly changed the name
of the school to the State Teachers and Agricultural College (STAC),
as the school was the official state college for training African
American teachers. In 1932, STAC became one of three African
American colleges in the state university system. The Exchange
Teachers Plan, hallmark of the school’s contribution to education
in the state, was developed and introduced at STAC in 1933. The
school’s program trained African American teachers for service in
rural county school systems statewide. Teachers from Georgia and
neighboring states were sent to STAC by county school systems to
receive their teachers’ certificates. Despite the success the school
had in training African American teachers, the Georgia Board of
Regents elected to close the school in 1938-1939, investing their
resources in Fort Valley State College in nearby Peach County.
However, the legacy of STAC lived on in the faculty at Fort Valley
State College, who continued the Exchange Teachers Plan until the
desegregation of Georgia’s public schools in 1970.
Because the school had grown considerably since its
inception, the construction of a new campus within walking distance
of the original complex was begun in 1930. By 1936, several brick
buildings were built, including the administration building, a chapel,
the home economics building, the teachers’ cottage, dormitories,
the gymnasium, and the president’s house.
In 1939, the old STAC campus became the property of
the Monroe County Board of Education, who reopened the school
as the Hubbard Training School, Monroe County’s first African
American high school. Samuel Hubbard,
the son of William Hubbard, served as
the school’s principal. In 1955, a new
school building was built and the name
of the school was changed to Hubbard
Elementary and High School. Samuel
Hubbard continued as principal of the
school until Monroe County’s schools
were desegregated in 1970. The
Hubbard Elementary School continues
to operate today as a unit of the Monroe
County school system.
In 1986, several graduates and
faculty of the Hubbard School formed the Hubbard Alumni
Association (HAA). HAA is a non-profit organization whose
mission is to preserve the legacy of the Hubbard School through
the creation of a museum and to promote educational excellence
by providing two annual partial scholarships. Since its inception,
HAA has awarded $500 scholarships to 27 students. HAA recently
secured a 15 year lease on the Hubbard Dormitory from the Monroe
County Board of Education to rehabilitate the building for use as a
museum and cultural center. The building, originally built in 1934-
36 to serve as a women’s dormitory, is the most prominent building
remaining from the 1930s era campus of the State Teachers and
Agricultural College.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Hubbard School,
the Middle Georgia Regional Development Center submitted a
National Register nomination for the dormitory and the remaining
historic campus buildings in October 2001. HAA recently received
a $9,000 Georgia Heritage Grant from the Historic Preservation
Division, Department of Natural Resources, to prepare a master
plan for the dormitory rehabilitation.
Samuel E. Hubbard
Principal, 1939-1970
William M. Hubbard
Founder
The Hubbard Alumni Association (HAA) secured a lease from the Monroe
County Board of Education for this dormitory on the campus of the State
Teachers and Agricultural College(STAC). The Middle Georgia Regional
Development Center is submitting a nomination to the National Register
of Historic Places for the dormitory and remaining historic campus
buildings of STAC and the Hubbard School. Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
Anyone who believes that one
person cannot significantly impact
the world around them has clearly
never spent time in the presence of
Rufus Neal Turner, Jr. Mr. Turner
or “Mr. Rome” (as he is
affectionately referred to by some
of his former classmates at Main
High School) is a tireless crusader
in the effort to promote and preserve
African American educational,
political, and social contributions to
Rome, Georgia - past, present, and
future. His civic and community involvement encompasses
everything from school rehabilitation to school board elections. He
is affiliated with various organizations, including the city’s Historic
Preservation Review Board and the local chapter of 100 Black Men
of America, Inc. Inspired by the trail blazed by his former instructors
and classmates at Main High School, this lay historian/
preservationist is determined to ensure that all of the pieces that
comprise Rome’s rich, cultural tapestry are fully represented.
In the mid 1990s, at the behest of several alumni, Turner
undertook the monumental task of preserving Main High School.
He approached the City of Rome and effectively conveyed the
significance of the school, in both a historical and social context.
His argument was so convincing that the city responded by having
a new roof put on the building. Shortly after that, Turner was asked
to join the city’s Historic Preservation Review Board. Presently,
Turner is seeking resources to assist with rehabilitating the school
into a museum/mentoring center. When asked about the importance
of this project at the recent Main High School reunion, “Mr. Rome”
said, “I just want the coming generations, black, white, and everyone
else, to know of the standard of excellence created at Main High
School and that they cared for your well-being as a whole,
academically, personally, and spiritually.”
THE FIRST: ROME’S MAIN HIGH SCHOOL Jacinta Williams
African American Programs Intern
Historic Preservation Division
I
n 1883, the Board of Trustees for Rome City Schools rented office
space for $57.32 in the Bale and Kane Building, located in the
“Five Points” area of Rome, Floyd County. This was the beginning
of Main High School. This school was known as “Main School”
because it was the main or principal school for African Americans
in the Rome school system. At that time, classes were offered for
first through fourth grades, and the first principal of the school was
Arthur B. Fortune.
Between 1894-1896, the school relocated, constructing a
building on a hill overlooking the Etowah River and adding fifth
through seventh grades. Since these grades were not taught at the
African American elementary schools constructed just after the turn
of the century, some students had to transfer to Main School in
order to complete these grades. In 1925, a two-room annex was
built on the property. From 1926-1930, classes were offered for
grades eight through 11. Students received diplomas based on
completion of 11 years of work until 1952-53, when 12th grade
classes were offered.
Charles W. Aycock, who started as a mathematics
instructor in 1931, was named principal of the school in 1940 and
served in that capacity until 1966. Under his guidance, Main High
School experienced tremendous growth and success, including
accreditation by the Georgia Accrediting Commission and the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1932. At one
point, enrollment exceeded 1,100 pupils and 40 teachers
(unprecedented for the time). Increased enrollment led to the
construction of another building in 1934. This structure was built
behind the original Main High School building. The new building
became the school for upperclassmen and was constructed with
funds from the Civil Works Administration, in the Colonial Revival
style of architecture. The building served as the only public African
American high school for city and county residents, until the new
Main High School was built next to it in the mid-1950s. Classes
were first held in the new building at the beginning of the 1958-59
school term, while junior high and some high school classes were
taught in the old building.
city. During the 1966 school term,
200 students (county residents) were
transferred from Main High School
to previously all white county high
schools. Approximately the same
number of city students were
transferred to East and West Rome
High Schools. During the 1967-68
school year, all students were
allowed to attend the school of their
choice under the Freedom of Choice
Desegregation Plan. Main High
School ceased operations as a school
in 1969.
Main High School, its teachers, and administrators played
an invaluable role in the education and complete well-being of
countless students. To honor the epic achievement of Main High
School, the City of Rome recently sponsored its nomination to the
National Register of Historic Places.
ROME’S RUFUS N. TURNER JR.
5
Mrs. Ware/Student Council
Photo courtesy of Rufus N. Turner Jr.
The 1960s were a period of great transition for both Rome
and Main High School. Some of the students in 1963 and 1964
staged peaceful “sit-ins” around the city. When arrested, students
were represented by Vernon E. Jordan and Horace T. Ward,
prominent civil rights attorneys. These “sit-ins” were a catalyst for
the desegregation of all public accommodations and schools in the
Main High School, circa 1934. The school is a one-story, stretcher-bond
brick veneer structure, with a brick foundation and eight brick chimneys. It
originally contained four classrooms, two restrooms, and a small office. By
1938, two additional classrooms and an auditorium were constructed, designed
by Atlanta architect, Odis Clay Poundstone. Photo courtesy of Rufus N. Turner Jr.
“I just wanted to do for the
school, alumni, and community,
what was done for me.”
6
THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Gretchen Kinnard
National Register Coordinator
Historic Preservation Division
The National Register of Historic Places was created on October
15, 1966, with the signing of the National Historic Preservation
Act. Since that time, the National Register has served as our
country’s official list of historic properties worthy of preservation.
The National Register is a vital tool that helps to preserve a wide
range of historic properties. In Georgia, we have over 1,800 listings
including over 400 districts, and totaling approximately 52,000
properties listed in the National Register. Georgia ranks among
the top ten states nationally in the number of properties listed.
Because each listing represents a preservation project as well as a
significant historic resource, the numbers illustrate the impressive
amount of preservation activity that has taken place in the state
since 1966.
Historic African American properties constitute
approximately 10% of Georgia’s National Register listings and
represent a broad range of properties associated with Georgia’s
African American heritage. National Register nominations
encompass entire communities, residential neighborhoods in
numerous towns and cities throughout the state, or historic African
American commercial districts and buildings. Archaeological sites
associated with former African American settlements along the coast
and buildings and structures designed by African American
craftsman have received recognition. Rural and urban historic
community landmark buildings such as schools, churches, and
fraternal lodges are significant African American properties.
Historic African American houses, ranging from slave cabins,
shotguns, and tenant houses to bungalows and mansions are
represented in the National Register.
To be eligible for listing in the National Register, a property
must meet certain requirements. The property or district must be
historic, which generally means over 50 years old, have historic
significance, and retain its historic physical characteristics. The
property or district must meet one or more of the National Register
Criteria by association with events, activities, or developments that
were important in the past; association with the lives of people who
were important in the past; significance in the areas of architectural
history, landscape history, or engineering; or have the potential to
yield important information through archaeological investigation.
The National Register is not a “static” list. New
nominations are added to the list at the rate of approximately 50
per year. Previously listed nominations, particularly districts,
continue to be updated to include additional information, update
properties that recently reached the 50-year mark, and expand
boundaries of the nomination. An example of expanding district
boundaries is the recently updated Martin Luther King, Jr., Historic
District in Atlanta. Listed on May 2, 1974, the Martin Luther King,
Jr., Historic District was Georgia’s first National Register
nomination for historic African American properties. The
boundaries of the historic district were recently enlarged in June
2001 to include the historic African American community that
influenced King’s ideals in his adult life.
The National Park Service, United States Department of
the Interior, maintains the National Register. In Georgia, the
National Register program is administered by the Historic
Preservation Division (HPD). To nominate a historic property or
district, there is a 17-step process that includes planning, evaluation,
and research. Although it may seem daunting, the first steps in the
nomination process are basic planning steps such as determining
what property to nominate, why the property should be nominated,
and who is going to compile the necessary documentation.
Frequently, the next step in the process is contacting HPD or the
preservation planner in your Regional Development Center to verify
that the property is not yet listed and to obtain HPD’s National
Register application packet. Requests for listing are reviewed by
HPD’s National Register staff to determine eligibility and verify
that the documentation is complete. Once the nomination has been
approved by HPD, the proposed nomination is scheduled for a
meeting of the Georgia National Register Review Board. The
nomination is presented to the board and if approved, is signed by
the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, who submits the
nomination to the National Register in Washington, D.C. The final
step involves review and approval by the Keeper of the National
Register, and the property is subsequently listed in the National
Register of Historic Places.
National Register listing does not place obligations or
restrictions on the use of private property. National Register listing
The Clay Street YMCA building is a
community landmark building in
Thomasville’s Stevens Street Historic
District. It was built circa 1890 to
provide recreation services to the
African American community. Today,
the building functions as True Vine
Church of Deliverance. It is owned
by the Douglass High School Alumni
Association. Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
The Church of the Good Shepherd (Good Shepherd Episcopal Church) was built
circa 1894. A wing connects the church to a two-story parish hall and school.
John W. “Jack” Carter, an African American community leader, was instrumental
in the development of the school. The school provided private education from
kindergarten through the fifth grade until 1964. Individually listed in the National
Register of Historic Places on February 5, 1987, the Church of the Good Shepherd
is a community landmark building and a contributing resource in Thomasville’s
Stevens Street Historic District. Photo by James R. Lockhart
As Reflections enters its second year of publication, the Georgia
African American Historic Preservation Network (GAAHPN)
continues a celebration of the contributions of
African Americans to the cultural landscape of
Georgia. This publication evolved from the
commitment of a statewide network of
volunteers who were undaunted in their
attempts to recognize the achievements of
African Americans in Georgia’s heritage.
Through Reflections we tell the stories of these
individuals, the unsung heroes and heroines
behind the buildings and history we cherish.
The premier issue of Reflections
portrayed African American farmers who acquired their farms in
the late 19th century, maintained them in the same family for over
100 years, and were recognized as Centennial Family Farms.
Reflectionstold the story of Sapelo Island and the Geechee residents
of Hog Hammock, who represent Georgia coastal communities with
Gullah traditions dating from Africa, through enslavement, to the
present. Theatres built by African Americans, or white theatres
with segregated sections, were portrayed as preservation initiatives
that presently provide entertainment venues in Georgia cities.
Diversity, developing from the biracial characteristics of the
plantation economy to current historic preservation partnerships in
rural Georgia communities, was discussed in Reflections.
Reflections features African American properties or
historic resources that are listed in the National Register of Historic
Places. This strategy accomplishes dual objectives: recognition of
historic properties and presentation of successful models of
preservation initiatives. Each issue includes a description of a program
area within the Historic Preservation Division to educate readers about
available technical services. Through Reflections, GAAHPN
highlights collaborations with local, state, regional and federal partners,
critical components in successful preservation. These collaborations
have aided GAAHPN in raising awareness of diversity in Georgia’s
heritage. As membership in GAAHPN has increased from 350
Network members to over 900, we recognize that our celebration of
African American heritage in Georgia is a celebration that is shared
by all Georgians. Thus, with this issue of Reflections, we are
expanding our distribution to all of HPD’s mailing list, an additional
1,870 persons. Whether you are a member of GAAHPN, or receiving
this publication for the first time, we welcome you to Reflections.
7
STEERING COMMITTEE
Karl Webster Barnes
Atlanta, Chair
404/758-4891
Isaac Johnson
Augusta, Vice-Chair
706/738-1901
Donald Beall
Columbus, Treasurer
706/569-4344
Beth Shorthouse
Atlanta, Secretary
404/881-9980
Corinne Blencoe
Newnan, 770/254-7443
Charlotte Frazier
Columbus, 706/687-4688
Chrys Rogers
Macon, 478/301-5370
Linda Wilkes
Atlanta, 404/688-0472
Thomas Williams
Atlanta, 404/331-4811
Jacinta Williams
GAAHPN Intern
Voice 404/657-1054
Fax 404/651-8739
jacinta_williams@mail.dnr.state.ga.us
A WARM WELCOME TO NEW READERS
can lead to a wide range of preservation activities. Some activities
are broad scale, such as heritage tourism, heritage education, local
district designation, and the revitalization of downtowns and
neighborhoods. Along with the official recognition, National
Register-listed properties may qualify for specific preservation
benefits and incentives. Owners of income-producing properties
listed in the National Register are eligible for a federal investment
tax credit for rehabilitation work that meets preservation standards.
Owners of residential and income-producing properties are eligible
for the state historic property tax abatement program. Non-profit
agencies and local governments are eligible to apply for state and
federal grants for planning and rehabilitation. Another benefit of
National Register listing is that federally funded, licensed, or
permitted projects are required to consider the effect of the project
on historic properties. National Register listing also provides
consideration of fire and life safety code compliance alternatives
when rehabilitating historic properties.
Since its inception in 1966, the National Register has
provided recognition for historic properties that represent all aspects
of our history and has often been the first step in a broader
preservation effort. To learn more about the National Register and
how it can help you preserve historic properties, or to obtain an
application packet, please contact: Gretchen Kinnard, National
Register Coordinator at 404/651-6782 or by e-mail
gretchen_kinnard@mail.dnr.state.ga.us.
Jeanne Cyriaque
African American
Programs Coordinator
Voice 404/656-4768
Fax 404/651-8739
jeanne_cyriaque@mail.dnr.state.ga.us
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION CONFERENCE
The Historic Preservation Division, The Georgia Trust, the Macon
Heritage Foundation and the Urban Land Institute will host
Georgia Communities at the Crossroads: Growth Strategies and
Solutions, the 2002 State Historic Preservation Conference in Macon,
Georgia on February 28-March 1, 2002. The conference will address
growth strategies for Georgia communities and the positive role historic
preservation can play. Conference sessions include community
envisioning, transportation planning, local government issues,
incentives and tools, downtowns, neighborhoods, schools, real estate
opportunities, open space and archaeology. Tours of historic properties
in Macon will be offered as well.
Jeanne Cyriaque
Editor
Karl Webster Barnes
GAAHPN Chairman
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 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 900 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. 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
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