Volume VIII, No. 3 March 2009
A Program of the Historic Preservation Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Jeanne Cyriaque, African American Programs Coordinator
Historic Preservation Division
continued on page 2
FROM A COUNTY TRAINING SCHOOL TO A FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER:
VIENNA PRESERVES ITS ROSENWALD SCHOOL
Vienna is located in west-central Georgia where cotton is
king, and other crops include soybeans, pecans and
peanuts. In 1841, Vienna became the county seat of Dooly
County. African Americans have lived in Vienna since the town’s
beginnings, and it is the site of one of the first public schools in
Georgia that offered African Americans an education through the
ninth grade.
In the early 20th century, both white and African American
rural schools in Georgia and throughout the South depended upon
partnerships between state superintendents of public schools and
local county boards of education. These educators worked together
to determine salaries for teachers and construction and maintenance
of school facilities. Because of Jim Crow-era segregation, most of
these limited resources were directed to white schools, and a reform
movement that relied heavily
upon northern philanthropy
emerged to address education
for African Americans. Its
goals were to improve the
training of black teachers and
school facilities.
Educators like Booker
T. Washington of Tuskegee
Institute appealed to northern
philanthropists by advocating
the value of “industrial
education” for African
Americans and, in 1912, he
began a school building program
with the assistance of Julius
Rosenwald, who was president
of Sears, Roebuck & Company.
The Rosenwald-funded school
construction program ultimately achieved enormous success at
least in part because it did not challenge the racial norms that were
prevalent at that time, but instead focused on improved access to
education for African Americans within a segregated environment.
At first, the Rosenwald Fund rural schools were
constructed from plans developed by Tuskegee architects. The
Tuskegee plans were called The Negro School and Its Relation to
the Community and included industrial training rooms where girls
could receive training in domestic science and vocational training
facilities for boys. These plans incorporated auditoriums and
libraries in larger schools to ensure a community use for the facilities.
As the school building program expanded to other
southern states, the Rosenwald Fund hired Fletcher B. Dresslar,
professor of school hygiene and architecture at the George Peabody
College for Teachers, to
complete a report that when
published in 1920, led to a
complete reorganization of the
school building program. The
most immediate result was the
removal of program operations
from Tuskegee to Nashville and
the hiring of Samuel L. Smith as
administrator. Another outcome
was the design of Community
School Plans that significantly
improved the construction
standards and became models
for most Rosenwald Schools
that were built in the 1920s and
early 1930s.
The Rosenwald Fund
required a partnership formula to
Vienna High and Industrial School is an excellent example of a
Rosenwald Community School Plan building that was constructed to
accommodate six teachers in three classrooms on each side, an
auditorium, and a principal’s office. Photo by James R. Lockhart
2
Jeanne Cyriaque, continued from page 1
FROM A COUNTY TRAINING SCHOOL TO A FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER:
VIENNA PRESERVES ITS ROSENWALD SCHOOL
ensure that each school met minimum standards for the size of the
school, length of school term, ventilation and sanitary privies. School
grants were awarded according to the number of teachers as
opposed to number of classrooms, and varied from $500 for a
one-teacher building up to $2,100 for school buildings with ten or more
teachers. Community School Plans specified large banks of windows
that maximized lighting and introduced model landscapes where the
school building was the central element on a minimum two-acre site
that often included a teacher’s home and shops.
African Americans were required to contribute cash and
in-kind contributions to match the Rosenwald Fund grant. The
communities often sponsored Rosenwald Rallies to raise funds for
their schools. Sympathetic whites also contributed some funds for
these schools, but the Rosenwald Fund worked closely with the
southern states and other philanthropists to develop County
Training Schools that had industrial training as a core part of the
curriculum. The John F. Slater Fund provided equipment and
supplemented teacher salaries for County Training Schools, and
the Anna T. Jeanes Foundation established the Negro Rural School
Fund to send “Jeanes” teachers to the counties to act as supervising
instructors for industrial training. Southern states employed white
administrators known as state agents for Negro schools whose
salaries were provided by the General Education Board. These
partners worked in conjunction with the Julius Rosenwald Fund to
build larger schools.
The Vienna County Training School was constructed in
1926, under the administration of state agent Walter B. Hill, Jr. He
was the son of University of Georgia Chancellor Walter B. Hill. Hill
served as state agent for Negro schools in Georgia from 1920-1930,
when the most Rosenwald Schools were built under his
administration. Hill also engineered partnerships with the northern
philanthropic organizations to build a number of County Training
Schools throughout the state. In Vienna, the total cost of the brick
building was $17,737. Public funds for the building totaled $13,037,
the African American community contributed $2,000, the Rosenwald
Fund contributed $1,700 and the white community contributed $1,000.
The school is an “H” shaped, single-story red brick
building that is designed from a six-teacher Community School
Plan. Each wing of the building has three classrooms with a
rectangular core noted by a principal’s office and auditorium. The
school is known in the community as the Vienna High and Industrial
School. By 1959, a wooden building for home economics and the
band, as well as a small brick classroom were built to accommodate
increasing enrollment. The school continued to function as Vienna’s
African-American high school until 1970, when a new high school
was constructed.
From 1970 until 2004, the brick building was continuously
used as a school, serving pre-kindergarten students. In 2003, the
Vienna Historic Preservation Society sponsored a program to honor
the school’s history as a Rosenwald School. Numerous alumni and
supporters attended the event, including Joyce Henry Williams
who was a student and later taught at Vienna High and Industrial
School. Mrs. Williams was one of a group of alumni who sponsored
a reunion in 2000 to celebrate the school’s 44 years as a Vienna
African-American community landmark. Another supporter is
Mayor Willie Davis. He was a former Dooly County teacher and
superintendent of schools.
Today, the school continues to be a community center,
and the building is now known as the Dooly County Family
Resource Center. Old classrooms now provide computers and
meeting space or double as offices for Dooly County Board of
Education staff, and the auditorium space and stage is used for
community events.
The Dooly County Board of Education, who owns the
Rosenwald School, recently sponsored the nomination of the
Vienna High and Industrial School to the National Register of
Historic Places. It is one of the original 242 Rosenwald Schools
that once existed in Georgia. The Rosenwald Fund built over
5,000 schools in 15 southern states, and the Vienna High and
Industrial School is an example of one of the larger schools that
has survived and is adaptively used today by the community
that it was built to serve.
Vienna High and Industrial School was constructed on a fouracre site that exceeded the minimum standards of the
Rosenwald Fund. Over time, two additional buildings and a
rear playground were added, along with brick columns erected
by school alumni to enhance the entrance from the street.
 Photo by James R. Lockhart
A wood building was constructed on the campus as
enrollment increased. Its design was influenced by the
Community School Plans. Photo by James R. Lockhart
ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER UNVEILS NEW EXHIBIT:
SLAVE LIFE AT THE TULLIE SMITH FARM
Jeanne Cyriaque, African American Programs Coordinator
Historic Preservation Division
I
n 1845, Robert Smith purchased land surrounding what is now
the intersection of I-85 and North Druid Hills Road in Atlanta.
Smith’s farm eventually grew to over 800 acres, and the original
farmhouse and kitchen and later several historically appropriate
outbuildings, including a slave cabin, were moved to the Atlanta
History Center in the early 1970s. While the Atlanta History Center
had previously offered interpretive programs to visitors and school
children, the story of the 14 enslaved men, women and children
who worked the farm and lived in close proximity to the Smith
family was largely left out of interpretive programs until the Atlanta
History Center received funding from the Poppy Garden Club to
develop the exhibit, Slave Life at the Smith Farm.
The 1850 slave cabin is the outbuilding on the Smith Farm
that interprets the lives and contributions of the African Americans
who lived there. The exhibit consists of ten fabric panels that
include an overview of slavery in Georgia and unique characteristics
of slave life in the Piedmont region where the farm was located.
Panels explore the topics of labor, work systems, clothing, and
community life and foodways. The housing panel describes
different types of dwellings that slaves lived in from coastal regions
to the mountains. Though the slave cabin is not a documented
slave dwelling, it is representative of the log cabin dwellings that
were common in the upper Piedmont counties. Another panel
describes some of the methodology that can be used to research
slave life. Many of these resources are available at the Kenan
Research Center. Jeanne Cyriaque and Dr. Lauranette Lee, Curator
of African American History at the Virginia Historical Society
provided assistance to Atlanta History Center staff, Joanna Arrieta,
Manager of Historic Houses and Donald Rooney, Curator of Urban
and Regional History, in developing the exhibition and locating
resources. A panel entitled “Freedom” describes events unique to
the Georgia experience after emancipation.
The Atlanta History Center regularly offers tours of the
Smith Farm, and now docents are incorporating the slave cabin in
their interpretation of the site. The slaves’ garden is located behind
the cabin, and directly behind the kitchen outbuilding where food
was prepared. Joanna Arrieta is excited about two additional
educational tools that are being developed to enhance the
educational experience for visitors. A printed take-away guide will
provide a key to the outbuildings at the site and more detailed
information about the enslaved residents. Because of the large
number of school children who regularly visit the Smith Farm, she
is spearheading the effort to develop an “activity trunk” where the
children can lift water buckets, play with musical instruments and
see artifacts associated with slave life in the cabin and the farm.
The Atlanta History Center and the Slave Life at the Smith
Farm exhibit is open daily. To plan your visit, call 404-814-4000 for
hours and admission information, or visit their website:
www.AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.
3
This log cabin dwelling on the Smith Farm houses the exhibit. Log slave
cabins were common in the Georgia Piedmont region.
 Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
Andrea Chanay is one of the docents who conducts
the Smith Farm tour. She is dressed in period
clothing while sharing information sbout the Smith
family and the slaves who lived there.
 Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
This circa 1925 image of Uncle Wilke, a former Smith
family slave, is featured in the exhibit.
Photo courtesy of the Atlanta History Center
4
DEWEY CITY HISTORIC DISTRICT:
THOMASVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD ACHIEVES NATIONAL REGISTER LISTING
Denise Messick, National Register Historian
Historic Preservation Division
The city of Thomasville in southwest Georgia is fortunate to
have retained a diverse collection of historic resources.
Thomasville has also been proactive in recognizing the significance
of these properties. When the historically African American
neighborhood of Dewey City was included in the National Register
of Historic Places in August 2008, it became the city’s ninth district
listed by the National Park Service. This latest district lies just west
of the Stevens Street Historic District, another residential area that
is also important (along with Dewey City) for its role in black history
in Thomasville.
Dewey City’s achievement of National Register status was
not by happenstance. It was the culmination of years of hard work
and collaboration by residents, community leaders, city planners
and Thomasville Landmarks, a citywide nonprofit agency. It is said
that all preservation is local. The Dewey City nomination would
not have been completed without the interviews and research
conducted throughout the community by local staff and volunteers.
The enthusiasm of Dewey City residents was evident when an
exceptionally large crowd participated in the public information
meeting held in September 2007.
occurred in the 1920s and after World War II. The first residents
included laborers, domestics, yardmen, and railroad workers. Dewey
City was once self-sustaining with at least three small grocery stores
in the 1940s, plus other businesses such as beauty and barber
shops and auto repair garages at various times. Changing economic
conditions resulted in uneven growth. The platted lots were never
completely developed with housing. Some residents either formally
or informally occupied the vacant lots for their side yards or gardens.
Most buildings remained single-family, owner-occupied houses.
The neighborhood has recently seen some new “infill” housing
within the approximately 110-acre district.
New families and the proximity of the Dewey City Branch
baptismal pool likely enticed three churches to build in the
neighborhood between 1900 and 1947. These churches provided
strong anchors for the residents who attended as well as childcare
for working parents in the neighborhood. The Dewey City Branch
is a branch of the Oquina Creek. Its waters served as a baptismal
site for a large community from the area’s earliest settlement until
the 1940s. Churches from all over the northwestern portion of
Thomasville “marched” through city streets to the Branch, where
large baptisms would be held. This site is still visible today.
For over a century Dewey City had a distinct identity as
an African American neighborhood with boundaries defined within
four historic plats. These detailed plats delineated new streets and
subdivided lots for sale. The first plat, known as the Quinn and
Cochran Addition, was filed in 1899. Recorded in 1904 as the “Dewey
City Subdivision,” it was likely named after Admiral George Dewey,
hero of the Spanish-American War. Charles Bluett Quinn had initially
bought the land outside Thomasville to provide housing for its
African American residents. Even though Thomasville did not
have specific zoning ordinances dictating where whites and blacks
could settle within the city, housing patterns were influenced by
the “Jim Crow” segregation practices of the time. The low-lying
land between two creeks had been sparsely settled prior to
Quinn’s purchase.
Subsequent plats in 1911 and 1947 expanded Dewey City’s
street grid. Early 20th century migration from farms to jobs in
Thomasville drew new residents. Periods of significant growth
Felix Street in Dewey City was settled after 1912 as part of
the “Homestead Park” plat. Photo by James R. Lockhart
This is an example of a 1920s bungalow (left) on Forrest Street.
 Photo by James R. Lockhart
The circa 1953 St. James Primitive Baptist Church is one of the
churches in the Dewey City Historic District.
 Photo by James R. Lockhart
5
The Dewey City Historic District contains examples of
house types popular in working class neighborhoods in Georgia
from the early to mid-20th century. These include bungalows,
shotgun houses and many others. The district also has some
interesting variations that were adapted for this community. In the
late 1950s and early 1960s, Dewey City began to see small square or
rectangular houses constructed out of concrete masonry units.
One builder, Otis Johnson, and his company Alajay, Inc. were
responsible for building and helping to finance most of them. African
Americans, including Alvin Griggs of Dewey City, did much of the
carpentry and masonry work. According to Hilda (formerly Johnson)
Blitch, concrete block replaced wood as the favored construction
material because of lower maintenance costs. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson
worked with local banks to arrange special financing for
homeowners. Hilda Johnson was involved in the design of the
homes. The “block houses” tend to be between 850 and 1,100
square feet with living room, kitchen, and two bedrooms. Building
inspectors reportedly called them “1040s” due to their size of
approximately 1,040 square feet.
Dewey City’s neighborhood schools were highly regarded
both for academics and athletic teams. The first black public school
in Thomasville was established on Clay Street in the Stevens Street
Historic District in 1902. When its lease expired in 1909, a new
school was built in Dewey City, beginning the long tradition of
education for which Dewey City was known locally. This school
was called simply Dewey City School and housed grades 1 through
10. By 1914, land fronting Inner Boulevard was deeded to the city
of Thomasville with terms that a new “school building for a colored
people’s school” would be built for “not less than $4000.” The
same campus would be used for several decades. Some families
boarded their children in the neighborhood to attend the schools.
In 1950 Douglass High School became the first black school in the
region to have a gymnasium. This gym is reportedly a World War
II aircraft hanger that had been moved from Spence Field in Moultrie.
Part of the old school complex now houses the Jack Hadley Black
History Museum, a collection of artifacts and memorabilia
commemorating local, state and national African American
accomplishments (www.jackhadleyblackhistorymuseum.com).
The National Register is our nation’s catalogue of places
that are important in our past. These buildings, structures, sites
and districts provide a sense of identity and a tangible link to a
community’s history. While listing does not guarantee preservation
or financial assistance, it is one way to provide recognition and
increase public awareness of these irreplaceable resources.
Properties that are listed in the National Register (or eligible for
inclusion) must be taken into consideration when federal agencies
are planning projects that could affect them. The designation also
may qualify property owners for federal and state tax incentives
under certain circumstances. During times when grant funds are
available, local governments and nonprofit agencies may be eligible
for preservation grants. (The nomination materials for Dewey City
were prepared in part with a grant from the federal Historic
Preservation Fund.) For information on these and other programs,
please visit the Historic Preservation Division website at
www.gashpo.org.
This historic photo of Douglass High School appeared
in the 1932 Georgia Department of Education biennium
report. This building no longer stands on the campus. It
was constructed in the 1925-26 school year with aid
from the Julius Rosenwald Fund and was Thomas
County’s Training School for African Americans.
These are examples of a bungalow (left) and a shotgun house
(right) on Festus Street in the Dewey City Historic District.
 Photo by James R. Lockhart
The house on the left is an example of a concrete block house
that is known locally as a “1040”. Photo by James R. Lockhart
This portion of the former Douglass Junior High School
was constructed in the 1950s. Photo by James R. Lockhart
6
IF I LIVE TO BE 107:
ATLANTA CENTENARIAN CELEBRATES ANOTHER BIRTHDAY
Jeanne Cyriaque, African American Programs Coordinator
Historic Preservation Division
When asked by one of the hundreds of people who attended
her 106th birthday party in Atlanta what was her secret to
such a long life, Ann Nixon Cooper said, “I was just too busy to
die!” Little did Mrs. Cooper realize how busy she would become by
the celebration of her 107th birthday on January 9, 2009.
For the past three
years Mrs. Cooper has
celebrated birthdays at her
home and the birthday bash
always includes three cakes to
celebrate her centenarian
status. A host of Atlanta
celebrities attend the party,
including former Atlanta
Mayor and U.N. Ambassador
Reverend Andrew Young. In
fact, he began an annual ritual
on her 99th birthday when he
presented her with a charm
with her age on it to wear
around her neck. Needless to
say, Young has given her a
number charm each year and Mrs. Cooper adds the old ones to her
charm bracelet that she proudly wears along with the “present
year” necklace.
When visiting Mrs.
Cooper’s home, one is amazed
to see her collection of evening
dresses and stiletto heels that
she once wore to parties at
places like the Alonzo Herndon
home. Surprisingly, she can
probably still wear them all. At
age 105 she broke a hip, and
for a period of time she
discarded the heels for flats,
but not for long. She still wears
her heels when going out or
entertaining at home. In fact,
until her injury, she was doing
the “electric slide” at age 105.
Ann Nixon Cooper
was born in Shelbyville,
Tennessee in 1902. She grew
up in Nashville, where she met
her husband, Dr. Albert
Cooper. The family moved to
Atlanta in 1922, and she has
lived in her Tudor home since
1937. Dr. and Mrs. Cooper raised their four children in this house.
Only one of her children is still living, Joyce Bobo of California, but
Mrs. Cooper has 14 surviving grandchildren.
Since her husband
Albert was a prominent African
American dentist in thensegregated Atlanta, the Cooper
home became a place where
many parties and celebrations
occurred. Mrs. Cooper
remembers visitors like the late
singer Nat King Cole and a
young Morehouse student,
Spike Lee, who would later
become a filmmaker.
Mrs. Cooper never
worked except for a few years
at the Atlanta Life Insurance
Company, where she remembers
making $7.00 per week. The
staff noticed her impeccable
penmanship skills, and she
became the calligrapher for
policies. She focused on
community service throughout
her lifetime, and is a member of
First Congregational Church.
She led the 135th homecoming
celebration litany at the church
when she was 100 years old.
Ann Nixon Cooper at 107 years old
Photo by Sue Ross
Mrs. Cooper proudly displays her
clothes, jewelry and shoes that she
wore to Atlanta parties.
 Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
Janis Perkins and Mrs. Cooper
dancing to the “electric slide”. She
was 103 years old at the time.
 Photo by Sally Warner
Guests at the birthday bash eat all three cakes
that celebrate Mrs. Cooper’s centenarian status.
 Photo by Paul D. McPherson, Jr.
Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin visits with Mrs.
Cooper at her107th birthday celebration.
Photo by Sue Ross
Lillian Davis
Dr. Gerald C. & Barbara Golden
Terry & Cynthia Hayes
Richard Laub
Christine Miller-Betts
Kenneth Rollins
Isaac Johnson, Chair
706/738-1901
Linda Cooks, Vice-Chair
404/936-2614
Velmon Allen, Vice-Chair
GAAHPN Network
912/261-1898
STEERING
COMMITTEE
Jeanne Cyriaque
African American
Programs Coordinator
Reflections Editor
Voice 404/656-4768
Fax 404/657-1040
jeanne.cyriaque@dnr.state.ga.us
STAFF
7
Last October, Sally Warner and James Davis, two dear
friends of Mrs. Cooper, decided that her vote in the presidential
election deserved news coverage. CNN was contacted and took
on the story. Don Lemon of CNN rode with Warner, Davis and Mrs.
Cooper as she traveled to the Fulton County Government Center to
cast her early vote in the presidential election. Atlanta Mayor
Shirley Franklin escorted her to the voting machine. Mrs. Cooper
registered to vote on September 1, 1941. Though she had voted
in many elections in her lifetime, Ann Nixon Cooper never thought
that she would live to see an African American president.
Mrs. Ann Nixon Cooper proudly displays her “I’m a Georgia Voter” decal
as she talks to reporters after her historic vote. Photo by Sue Ross
Don Lemon of CNN was one of the
people who attended Mrs. Cooper’s
107th birthday bash.
 Photo by Paul D. McPherson, Jr.
After CNN and
Atlanta news stations broadcast
Mrs. Cooper’s historic vote, the
former Illinois Senator Barack
Obama called her to thank her
for her vote. CNN again
reported the telephone call,
and Mrs. Cooper’s vote made
national and worldwide news.
But Mrs. Cooper had one more
surprise on election night
when President-Elect Barack
Obama mentioned her in his
acceptance speech. She was
invited to the inauguration, but
decided to watch it in the
comfort of her home. She is
just content that he was
elected, and if she ever meets
the president in person, she
would just like to shake his
hand.
Jocelyn Dorsey of WSB in Atlanta and Reverend Andrew
Young visit Mrs. Ann Nixon Cooper on her 107th birthday
on January 9th. They are reviewing an article in Essence
Magazine that featured Mrs. Cooper’s historic vote.
 Photo by Sally Warner
Isaac Johnson
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 GAAHPN Steering Committee 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 2,650 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.gashpo.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
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
34 Peachtree Street, NW
Suite 1600
Atlanta, GA 30303-2316