Wisdom Bridge at the
downtown Atlanta Public
Library.
Springfield Village
Park will be expanded by
2003, adding another Hunt
sculpture on the lower
plaza. This sculpture, “and
they went down both into
the water,” symbolizes
baptisms once performed
in the river. The sculpture
will be placed in a basin
beneath the Tower of Aspiration. Reflecting pools opposite
Springfield Baptist Church evoke the springs that once provided
water to the community, and the name of the village and the church.
Other planned enhancements to the park include plaques depicting
life in Springfield Village in the 18th and 19th centuries. Walking
tours are planned linking Springfield Village Park to the Georgia
Golf Hall of Fame and historic buildings near Riverwalk Augusta.
Volume II, No. 3 SPRINGFIELD VILLAGE PARK DEDICATION June 2002
A Program of the Historic Preservation Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Augusta lies on the banks of the Savannah River in Richmond
County. For 17 years, Augusta Tomorrow has implemented
major redevelopment projects to promote tourism, linking
Riverwalk Augusta to the city’s downtown historic resources.
Springfield Baptist Church, located on the southeast corner of
Twelfth and Reynolds, is a critical component in Augusta’s plans
for downtown development. In 1994, Augusta Tomorrow formed a
partnership with the Springfield Village Park Foundation, a nonprofit
corporation, to secure contiguous land around Springfield Baptist
Church and develop a park commemorating the church and the
historic African American village that once surrounded it.
Springfield Village Park Foundation, under the leadership
of president Robert P. Kirby, Augusta Tomorrow, Historic Augusta,
and the trustees of Springfield Baptist Church, acquired parcels on
Jones and Reynolds streets
to increase the church and
park grounds to 2.5 acres
of land. In February 2002,
Springfield Village Park was
dedicated, featuring fruit
trees, a granite winding
path, lamposts, reflecting
pools, and the Tower of
Aspiration, a 35ft stainless
steel sculpture designed by
Richard Hunt, a renowned
African American sculptor,
and graduate of the Art
Institute of Chicago. Hunt
has created gallery-scale
sculptures for exhibits
displayed nationwide at
major museums, including
the Museum of Modern Art
in New York. Examples of
Hunt’s public commissions
are Freedmen’s Column at
Howard University and
continued on page 2
A walking path leads visitors to the
Tower of Aspiration.
The Tower of Aspiration is the centerpiece
of Springfield Village Park. Richard Hunt
designed a stainless steel sculpture to
symbolize the struggle for achievement in
the historic African American community
in Augusta.
 Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
Five reflecting pools capture the image of the bell tower at Springfield
Baptist Church. Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
2
continued from page 1 SPRINGFIELD VILLAGE PARK DEDICATION
The village of Springfield began with the story of David
George, an enslaved African who escaped from Essex County in
Virginia. George migrated to the Pee Dee River district in South
Carolina, where he lived and worked among whites for two years
until he was warned to take refuge in the Savannah River area to
avoid slave hunters. Blue Salt, a Creek Indian chief, captured David
George; around 1766, he sold him to the son of his former master in
Augusta. George escaped again, penetrating further into Indian
country, and lived on the colonial frontier until he was enslaved by
John Miller, a trader who worked for George Galphin. Each year,
David George drove a caravan of horses laden with deerskins 400
miles to Galphin’s plantation and trading post at Silver Bluff, on the
South Carolina side of the Savannah River. On a third trip to Silver
Bluff in 1769, George asked Galphin if he could continue working
on his plantation, preferring it to frontier life. Galphin allowed
preachers to visit his plantation, and George was baptized by Wait
Palmer, a white preacher. He encouraged George and other slaves
to form a congregation at Silver Bluff.
David George received his calling to preach after a vist by
George Liele, an African American preacher. When the American
Revolution began, visiting preachers were not allowed at Silver
Bluff, and David George became the preacher for the African
American congregation. During the war, slaves from the Galphin
plantation escaped to the British camps. David George ultimately
escaped to Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone, where he founded Baptist
churches. Jesse Peters, an associate of David George, returned to
Silver Bluff after the American Revolution, and preached in Augusta
and Savannah. He formed the Springfield Baptist Church
congregation in 1787. Jesse Peters and Abraham Marshall ordained
Andrew Bryan in 1788, the founder of First African Baptist Church
in Savannah. In 1798, the village of Springfield was included in the
new city charter of Augusta.
Jesse Peters’ congregation in Springfield continued to
grow during the next decade. By 1803, the church listed 497
members, and joined the Georgia Baptist Association. From 1819-
1846, Springfield’s pastor was Jacob Walker, and the congregation
worshiped freely in a brush
arbor. This was an unusual
practice in the antebellum
era, when most slaves
worshiped in balconies at
white churches led by
white preachers. Enslaved
Africans participated in the
economy through “tickets”
issued by slaveowners.
These passes allowed
slaves to earn money while
providing skilled trades
and services to the city’s diverse population. Their occupations
included blacksmiths, barbers, seamstresses and house servants.
By 1819, there were 176 persons listed in Augusta’s Register of
Free Persons of Color, an indicator that some had successfully
bought their freedom.
Other religious denominations were present in the
Augusta cultural landscape. The white Methodists erected a New
England style meeting house in 1801. As this congregation
eventually outgrew the building, the free African American
community acquired the meeting house from St. John Methodist
Church. In 1844, the congregation moved the building by wagons
to its present location, and it became Springfield Baptist Church,
the oldest African American church currently in use in Georgia.
Springfield’s first daughter church, Thankful Baptist, was
established in 1840, and Central Baptist was established in 1852.
Springfield’s next pastor was Kelly Lowe. In 1859, he established
the first African American Sunday School in the nation. The
congregation purchased his freedom in 1860, paying him an annual
salary of $1,000. When he died in 1861, over 1,200 persons marched
in his funeral procession.
Springfield Baptist Church, under the leadership of Pastor
Henry Watts, hosted a political convention with 38 delegates from
11 Georgia counties in 1866. General Davis Tillson, head of the
Freedman’s Bureau, attended the convention. The delegates
requested inclusion on juries and the right to vote in a petition to
the Georgia legislature. At the conclusion of the meeting, the
delegates established the Georgia Equal Rights Association, the
forerunner to the Republican Party of Georgia.
 In 1867, Pastor Watts and William J. White organized the
Augusta Baptist Institute in the basement of Springfield Baptist
Church. Within one year, enrollment grew from 36 to 60 students.
By 1879, with enrollment steadily increasing, the school moved to
Atlanta, changing the name to the Atlanta Baptist Institute. Under
the presidency of John Hope, a native Augustan, the school became
Morehouse College in 1913. Every five years, Morehouse College,
the only African American all-male college in the nation, celebrates
its beginning at convocation services in Springfield Baptist Church.
Another advancement with ties to Springfield was the 1870
act that created a system of public schools in Augusta. This law
required “separate, but equal” schools for white and black children.
By 1879, William J. White and the Georgia Education Association
opened Ware High School on the same block as Springfield Baptist
Church. Ware was the first public high school for African Americans
St. John Methodist Church was a
traditional New England style meeting
house, constructed circa 1801.
 Springfield Baptist Church Archives
The bell tower of the St. John building was damaged
and removed from Springfield Baptist Church.
Drawing by Glenda Gunn
3
in Richmond County. The school’s principal was Richard R. Wright,
Sr., who later became the president of Georgia State Industrial
College (presently Savannah State University). The Richmond
County Board of Education closed Ware High School in 1897, while
providing funds to white schools. The African American community
rallied to contest this decision, and took
their case to the U.S. Supreme Court,
who found no “desire or purpose to
discriminate” on the part of the Board.
This decision would affect schools until
1954, when segregation finally ended.
George Dwelle became the
pastor of Springfield in 1885. Under his
leadership, the brick church was
constructed by 1897. Reverend James
Nabrit succeeded Dwelle, serving
Springfield from 1912 to 1921. Pastor
Emmett T. Martin, a native Augustan,
began his Springfield ministry in 1971.
Reverend Martin attracted
the interest of preservationists and
historians in his stewardship of
Springfield Baptist Church. When
he began his ministry, he inherited roof
problems in both buildings, stained
glass windows requiring restoration,
and a community that had moved
away from downtown Augusta.
While Martin and church trustees
responded to these structural
challenges, they also assumed a
leadership role in the 1976 national
bicentennial. Members diligently
worked on assembling historic
photos and exhibits, and held
special services and a
candle-light procession.
Historic Augusta secured a
National Trust for Historic
Preservation grant for an
architectural study of the St.
John building. The study
was completed by Atlanta
architect Norman Askins,
who noted the building’s
architectural significance.
Askins’ report stated that
Springfield Baptist Church
“would be an obvious choice
as a center for interpretation
of black history and culture
in Augusta.”
Cherie Bennett, Grants Coordinator
Historic Preservation Division
GEORGIA HERITAGE GRANT PROGRAM
Since 1994, the Georgia Heritage Program has offered matching
funds on a statewide competitive basis to local governments
and nonprofit organizations for the preservation of Georgia Register
and National Register-eligible historic properties. Each year,
approximately 15-20 projects are selected for funding, based on
need, degree of threat to the resource, project planning, and
community benefit from the resource. Geographical and
demographical distribution and variety of resource types and uses
are also considered in award decisions.
During the last funding cycle for State Fiscal Year 2002,
two African American historic resources received grant assistance
from the Georgia Heritage program. The Sapelo Island Cultural and
Revitalization Society (SICARS) received $8,100 to produce a
rehabilitation plan for the Farmers’ Alliance Hall. In Forsyth,
Monroe County, the Hubbard School received $9,000 to produce a
rehabilitation plan for the Women’s Dormitory building on the
historic campus of the State Teacher’s and Agricultural College,
the official state school for the instruction of African American
teachers during the 1930s.
For State Fiscal Year 2003, a total of $307,000 is available
for the Georgia Heritage Program to provide matching grants for
development and predevelopment projects. Development projects
include stabilization, preservation, rehabilitation and restoration
activities. Predevelopment projects include plans and specifications,
feasibility studies, historic structure reports, or other buildingspecific or site-specific preservation plans. The maximum grant
amount that can be requested is $40,000 for development projects,
and $20,000 for predevelopment projects.
continued on page 4
Rev. Emmett T. Martin
Isaac Johnson is the treasurer
of Springfield Baptist Church,
secretary of the Springfield
Village Park Foundation, and
vice chair of the Georgia
African American Historic
Preservation Network.
Springfield Baptist Church and the
Tower of Aspiration represent Augusta’s
revitalization vision, promoting heritage
tourism, historic resources, and downtown
development. Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
 What lies ahead for this historic church? When the park
is completed, the Springfield Village Park Foundation envisions yet
another achievement, as the partnership has applied for designation
of the historic buildings and the park site as a National Historic
Landmark. As visitors come to the park, view the Tower of
Aspiration and Springfield’s historic churches, this African American
congregation and the villagers that once lived there simply say,
“We were here. We are here. We belong.”
The St. John building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on
June 17, 1982. On July 5, 1990, the 1897 brick building was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. The 1801 St. John building was turned to
face Reynolds Street when the 1897 brick church was completed. A walkway
inside connects both churches today. Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
4
continued from page 3
GEORGIA HERITAGE GRANT PROGRAM
For project eligibility, applicants must be a local
government or private secular nonprofit organization and have
documentation of matching funds (equal to at least 40% of the
project cost). The property must be listed in or eligible for listing in
the Georgia Register of Historic Places, and be listed prior to
reimbursement of funds. All grant assisted work must meet the
applicable Secretary of the Interior’s “Standards for Archaeology
and Historic Preservation.”
Grant applications for SFY 2003 are currently available
with a submission deadline of July 8, 2002. Grant awards will be
announced September 3, 2002. For further information about the
grant process or to be added to the mailing list for an application,
contact: Cherie Bennett, Grants Coordinator, Historic Preservation
Division, Department of Natural Resources at 404/651-5181.
On May 30th, as a final celebration during Historic Preservation
Month, the Historic Preservation Division (HPD) presented
its sixth annual Preservation Achievement Awards. Each year, staff
nominate preservationists who have contributed to HPD’s mission,
vision, and goals. Seven recipients or organizations were honored
at the annual awards ceremony. C. Donald Beall, treasurer of the
Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network
(GAAHPN), was one of this year’s award recipients.
Since 1996, Donald Beall has demonstrated commitment
to a number of preservation initiatives in Georgia. When he retired
from a career in mental health and education, he returned to Georgia,
his birthplace, and began a second career in volunteerism. Settling
in Columbus, Beall became involved in the community, and chaired
HISTORIC PRESERVATION DIVISION
ANNUAL PRESERVATION AWARDS
a conference on mentoring in cooperation with Big Brothers, the
Urban League, and Columbus State University. Each year, Beall
mentors students at Stewart-Quitman Middle and High Schools,
preparing them for annual Georgia/National History Day
competition.
Beall became
interested in preserving
African American history
in Stewart County while
taking frequent trips to his
native Lumpkin. He is
president of the Stewart
County African American
Heritage Society and is a
member of the Board of
Directors of Westville
Historic Handicrafts, Inc.
During Black History Month, Beall secured a grant from the
Chattahoochee Valley Community Foundation to sponsor a rag doll
maker exhibit.
Beall assisted the Green Grove Missionary Baptist Church
and School in landscaping the grounds surrounding church
buildings and the adjoining cemetery. He is currently chairing the
strategic planning committee for GAAHPN.
Donald Beall has consistently advocated African
American preservation in Columbus, Lumpkin, and various
statewide and regional initiatives. He is a devoted member of
GAAHPN and volunteers for other preservation programs, including
the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries and the Georgia
Humanities Council.
CAIRO REMEMBERS JACKIE ROBINSON
Only a chimney remains at the birthplace of Jack Roosevelt
Robinson, born in Cairo, Grady County, on January 31, 1919.
He is known to the sports world as Jackie Robinson, the African
American athlete who integrated Major League baseball in 1947.
This native Georgian is not forgotten by the Jackie Robinson Cairo
Memorial Institute. In 1997, Dr. Linda Walden founded this
The Farmers’ Alliance Hall on Sapelo Island was built by the Colored
Farmers’ National Alliance and Cooperative Union in 1929. The building
was used historically as a brokering agency for farmers and meeting place
for fraternal organizations. The beautiful landscape surrounding the
building provides an outdoor setting for annual “Cultural Day” activities.
It is a contributing building in the Hog Hammock Historic District, listed in
the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Donald Beall, GAAHPN treasurer,
receives his award from Ray Luce,
director, Historic Preservation Division.
Reverend Lessye Charlow, a cousin of Jackie Robinson, recalls his early
interest in baseball, while he played with yarn balls as a toddler. Charlow
presented her remarks at the dedication of the Jackie Robinson Georgia
Historical Marker in Cairo. Photo by Jack Hadley
nonprofit corporation to construct a museum near the chimney that
once was his birth home, creating a site to display Jackie Robinson
memorabilia, while providing a facility for seminars and community
cultural events in rural Grady County. Dr. Walden was instrumental
in renaming Georgia state highway 93 the “Jackie Robinson
Memorial Highway,” a first step to commemorate this site.
The nonprofit established a Youth Leadership Institute,
headed by Chief Judge W. Louis Sands, Middle District of Georgia.
The Institute promotes academic excellence and ensures the
development of a cadre of youth ambassadors from southwest
Georgia. Each year, the Jackie
Robinson Cairo Memorial
Institute sponsors a banquet
to establish a scholarship fund
for these future leaders. The
2002 banquet preceded the
installation of a Georgia
Historical Marker near the
chimney and future museum
site to honor Jackie Robinson.
Representative Sanford D.
Bishop, Jr. (Congressional
District 2) introduced the
keynote speaker, Max Cleland,
U.S. Senator from Georgia. “Ultimately we are all judged by the
impact we have on others,” Senator Cleland said, as he recaptured
Jackie Robinson’s sports and civil rights accomplishments.
“Conceive, believe, achieve,” were themes Senator Cleland explored
with the youth leaders, as he challenged them to “prepare yourself
for greatness, and believe in yourself and your goals.”
Dr. Linda Walden, a cousin of Jackie
Robinson, concluded the banquet with a slide
presentation highlighting her recollections of
Jackie Robinson. When Walden received her
M.D. from Mercer University in 1992, she
decided to establish the Cairo Family Medical
Center. Dr. Walden, who attended Mercer
because of the university’s commitment to
serving rural communities, became the first
African American female physician in Grady County history, and
the first African American doctor to establish a practice there in
over 50 years. Through her family medical practice, Dr. Walden
witnessed the alarming increase in dropout rates in Cairo, and
focused on this project as the impetus to improve the self-esteem
and educational aspirations of local African American youth.
Jackie Robinson was the fifth child of Mallie McGriff
Robinson. When Jackie was 18 months old, she moved the family
to Pasadena, California, in search of better employment opportunities.
While working as a domestic servant, Mallie bought a house for
her children, and instilled a spiritual foundation and self-discipline
that impacted Jackie’s values immensely. Jackie Robinson often
recollected Mallie’s influence, as he lettered in football, track,
basketball, and baseball at UCLA. During World War II, the U.S.
Army drafted Robinson. Though he was initially rejected as a
candidate for an officer, he was encouraged to pursue a leadership
position by a fellow draftee, Joe Louis, the boxing champion of the
world. Robinson eventually earned his commission, and, when the
war ended, he began his professional baseball career as the
shortstop for the Negro League’s Kansas City Monarchs. In 1946,
Robinson married his college sweetheart, Rachel Isum.
Branch Rickey, Jr., president of the Brooklyn Dodgers,
achieved baseball notoriety in the 1930s, when he began the farm
club system while a general manager with the St. Louis Cardinals.
In 1945, Rickey’s club, like most at the end of the war, lacked future
talent. He began to seek a potential star, perhaps from the Negro
Leagues, who would present the right candidate to participate in a
“noble experiment,” integration of Major League baseball. He
found that candidate in Jackie Robinson, signing him with the
Dodgers’ farm club, the Montreal Royals.
Shortly after his marriage, Jackie and
Rachel Robinson began the “noble
experiment” in Jim Crow Florida, where
they stayed in an African American home
and ate meals in black restaurants, while
the rest of the team resided at oceanfront
quarters in Daytona Beach. In spite of
these challenges, Jackie, armed with the
support of Rachel and Mallie, became
the first Royal to win the league’s batting
crown, with an average of .349. This
accomplishment set the stage for Robinson’s next challenge, Major
League baseball.
There is not a baseball fan in the world that fails to
recognize the impact Jackie Robinson made when he entered the
National League as an infielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking
Major League baseball’s “color barrier.” In 1947, he was named
“Rookie of the Year,” in spite of hate letters, resentment by fans and
players, and racial segregation. By 1949, Jackie Robinson was the
National League Most Valuable Player. In his ten-year career with
the Dodgers, Robinson’s team won six pennants, winning the World
Series in 1955. Jackie Robinson was elected to baseball’s Major
League Hall of Fame in 1962.
Throughout his career,
Jackie Robinson recognized “baseball
was just a part of my life,” and became
a staunch advocate for civil rights.
When his baseball days ended,
Robinson became a spokesman for the
NAACP, served as special assistant
to New York Governor Nelson
Rockefeller, and established Harlem’s
Freedom National Bank. To ensure
African American participation in the
affordable housing industry, he
founded the Jackie Robinson
Construction Corporation. When he
died in 1972, Rachel Robinson
established the Jackie Robinson
Foundation in New York to provide
scholarships for minority students to
attend college. A U.S. postage stamp was issued in his name, and
a U.S. gold and silver coin bears his image. His number “42” was
retired from professional baseball, and his accomplishments led to
participation in all major sports for African American athletes. Major
League baseball, sports fans, and the Jackie Robinson Cairo
Memorial Institute, will always remember this native son of Georgia.
5
Jackie Robinson played
for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Dr. Linda Walden receives a flag from
U.S. Senator Max Cleland in honor of
Jackie Robinson at the 2002 annual
scholarship banquet.
Dr. Linda Walden
After he retired from
baseball, Jackie Robinson
was a successful business
and Civil Rights leader.
The Georgia Cities Foundation (GCF) hosted the second annual
“Heart and Soul” bus tour in April 2002. Community leaders
and preservationists visited 12 cities to view downtown
development projects around the state. The Georgia Municipal
Association (GMA) sponsored the event. Downtown revitalization
projects receive assistance
through the GCF revolving
loan program. Mike Starr,
president of the GCF Board of
Directors, said “these cities
exemplify projects supported
by the foundation in Georgia
communities.” Two cities on
the “Heart and Soul” bus tour, Athens and Douglas, featured African
American achievement in their downtown development projects.
When the bus arrived in Athens, participants toured the
1910 Morton Building, built by African American contractor Monroe
B. “Pink” Morton. Morton built this historic structure to provide
office space for African American doctors and businessmen during
segregation. The Morton Theatre, located on the second level of
the Morton Building, provided entertainment for the African
American community. Calvin Smith and Lynn Battle greeted tour
participants, recalling the era when the Morton Theatre was initially
a vaudeville house, hosting Butterbeans and Susie, and other
Chitlin Circuit performers. In later years, the theatre was a movie
house. The Athens-Clarke Unified Government and the Morton
Theatre Corporation formulated a management agreement in 1993,
ensuring a partnership that provides ownership and staff support
from the government, and programming from the corporation. Today,
the historic Morton Theatre is the premier entertainment venue in
downtown Athens.
The Morton Theatre is located on Washington Street in
downtown Athens. It is on one side of the famous Hot Corner,
adjacent to Hull Street, the historic business district for African
Americans. From the 1940s to the 1970s, over 50 African American
businesses were located on the Hot Corner. Today, only a few
remain. Homer Wilson, owner of Wilson’s Styling Shop on Hull
Street, greeted tour participants. Angelish Wilson, Homer’s sister,
operates Wilson’s Soul Food restaurant next door. Each spring,
Homer Wilson organizes a “Hot Corner Festival” to commemorate
African American businesses, while promoting downtown
development in Athens.
Another bus tour stop was Douglas, the county seat for
Coffee County in southeast Georgia. Following outdoor activities
in the town square and a walking tour, participants were welcomed
at the Heritage Station Museum, a restored train depot. Inside the
museum were a number of exhibits depicting Douglas natives and
their contributions to local history. Docents provided personal
anecdotes to enhance the museum collections. One exhibit featured
a local African American baseball hero in this Georgia city, Joe
Louis Reliford, Sr., and participants learned about his incredible
athletic accomplishments.
Joe Louis Reliford was
born in 1939 six miles east of
Fitzgerald in Ben Hill County to a
family of sharecroppers. Joe was the
ninth of ten children, and growing
up poor, his father and siblings
worked long days in the fields.
Eventually the family moved to
Fitzgerald while Joe was a boy. When
his father died, older siblings worked
on the farm owned by his maternal grandparents while Joe helped
his mother with household chores and the family garden.
Baseball was a favorite pastime in Fitzgerald, and there
were both African American and white professional baseball teams
that were farm clubs for the Negro League and the Kansas City
Athletics. Joe loved the sport, and developed great “slide” and
running techniques while playing with his friends, where they would
create baseball fields on neighborhood streets. The boys did not
have equipment, and often would wait for home run balls from the
6
TOURING THE HEART AND SOUL OF GEORGIA
The Morton Building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
on October 22, 1979. In 1980, the Historic Preservation Division assisted
the rehabilitation of the theatre with a $27,432 Historic Preservation Fund
grant. By 1987, the Athens sales tax referendum ensured full restoration of
the theatre. Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
Athens welcomed “Heart and Soul “ bus tour participants at several
downtown historic buildings. Pictured from left to right: Mayor Doc Eldridge,
Art Jackson, Downtown Development Authority, Anita Jackson, Georgia
Department of Community Affairs (DCA), Linda Wilkes, Georgia Cities
Foundation, Kim Carter, DCA, and Paul Radford, Georgia Municipal
Association. Linda Wilkes is a member of the Steering Committee for the
Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network.
Joe Reliford, Sr. greets bus tour
participants at the Douglas
Heritage Station Museum.
park where white teams
played. Occasionally,
Joe would go to the
African American
Fitzgerald Lucky Stars
games. When the white
team, the Fitzgerald
Pioneers played on the
same field, African
Americans were not
allowed in the park, so
Joe would watch their
games from a tree in a
neighbor’s yard.
When Joe Reliford was ten, he decided to approach Ace
Adams, manager of the Pioneers, and inquire about the job of batboy
for the team. To his surprise, Adams agreed, and offered Reliford
$48.00 every two weeks for his services. Joe had to travel with the
team, and when Adams requested permission from Joe’s mother, he
assured her that the boy would be safe in spite of Jim Crow practices
of the day. The white ball players welcomed Joe to the team, and
taught him fielding and batting skills after practice.
In 1952, the Pioneers
traveled to Statesboro for the Elks
night game. The team was losing
badly, and when Joe ran out on the
field to pick up bats, the capacity
crowd began to chant “put in the
batboy.” Finally, the manager,
Charlie Ridgeway, feeling the team
was too far behind to possibly win,
instructed Joe Reliford to pinch hit
for one of the players. Joe grounded
out to third to end the inning, but
Ridgeway told him to play right field.
During the next inning, Joe Reliford
put out a runner at third base and
made an incredible leaping catch to
avoid a home run by the opposing
team’s best hitter. After the game,
the fans ran on the field to
congratulate the 12 year old, while
stuffing money in Joe’s back pocket.
Joe Reliford became the
youngest player ever to appear in a
professional baseball game. During
the ensuing weeks, his story
appeared in newspapers throughout
the state. Joe Reliford continued
athletic pursuits in high school,
lettering in four sports. While
attending Florida A&M University,
he suffered a career-ending football
7
The inscription at the
National Baseball Hall of
Fame Minor League exhibit
reads: The Youngest
Professional Player in
Baseball History, Joe Louis
Reliford, Age 12.
Corinne Blencoe
Newnan, 770/254-7443
Charlotte Frazier
Immediate Past Chair
Columbus, 706/687-4688
Peggy Harper
Atlanta, 404/522-3231
Jeanne Mills
Atlanta, 404/753-6265
Chrys Rogers
Macon, 478/318-7115
Velma Maia Thomas
Atlanta, 404/755-0732
Linda Wilkes
Atlanta, 678/686-6243
Thomas Williams
Atlanta, 404/331-4811
Karl Webster Barnes
GAAHPN Chairman
TOURING THE HEART AND SOUL OF GEORGIA
Jeanne Cyriaque
African American
Programs Coordinator
Voice 404/656-4768
Fax 404/651-8739
jeanne_cyriaque@mail.dnr.state.ga.us
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
REFLECTIONS
Need a copy of Reflections?
To download preservation
information, visit HPD’s website
at www.gashpo.org. Click on the
newsletters sidebar, and you can
print color versions of all
Reflections issues.
ROSENWALD SCHOOLS
STEERING COMMITTEE
The National Trust for Historic Preservation released
its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places on June
6, 2002. Among the 11 are Rosenwald Schools: rural schools
built for African Americans in the south during the Jim Crow
era. There once were over 5,000 schools in the south, and 242
were built in Georgia. GAAHPN is compiling an inventory of
schools in Georgia. If you have any information about these
schools, contact Jeanne Cyriaque.
Joe Reliford holds a baseball card depicting
him pitching during practice. Reliford is
wearing his cap and team jacket for the
Fitzgerald Pioneers.
injury, and moved to Douglas, where he started a new career as a
deputy sheriff for 18 years until he retired. Every baseball season,
Reliford would receive calls from sports editors around the country.
His story appeared in Sports Illustrated, the Guinness Book of
World Records, and Ripley’s Believe It or Not. In 1991, Joe Reliford
was contacted by the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum, Inc.
When you visit Cooperstown, Joe Reliford’s exploits are featured
in the minor league exhibit. This Douglas resident will always be
remembered as the young player who went from batboy to the Hall
of Fame.
Jeanne Cyriaque
Reflections Editor
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 1,125 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