Friends of Claflin officially launch restoration project

A day after getting approval from Columbus Council, the Friends of Historic Claflin formally launched their campaign to raise $8-$10 million to restore Claflin School, on the site of the first public school for African-American children in Columbus.

Standing in the shadow of the school, members of the FHC’s board announced their project, known as R.E.A.C.H. for Claflin. R.E.A.C.H. is an acronym for restore, educate, advance, community, history.

On Tuesday, Council approved an agreement that leases the old school complex to FHC for $1 a year for three years. If FHC can raise the money and have the restoration work done in that time, the city will deed the complex over to them.

Sam Nelson, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and president of FHC, stressed the historic nature of the site. After the Civil War, there were little if any educational opportunities for the freed slaves, he said. The Freedmen’s Bureau addressed that by building Freedmen’s Schools all over the South. The original Claflin School, built in 1868, was one of those.

“This is a shining beacon behind us,” Nelson said. “If we can restore it, I think it will demonstrate once and for all that the people of Columbus aren’t like people all over the country who can’t wait to tear the country up. We’re united.”

The Rev. Richard Jessie, executive director of FHC, was a student at Claflin from kindergarten through the sixth grade. He agreed with Nelson that the project has the potential to unify people behind the cause.

“We want Claflin to be a unifying element in Columbus,” Jessie said. “This is not just about south Columbus or midtown Columbus. It’s about the whole of Columbus and I think we’ll start seeing more of a one Columbus as we move toward restoring Claflin School.”

Both Nelson and Jessie conceded that raising $8-$10 million is a daunting challenge, but both are confident it can be done.

“We have been looking at grants that are available. We are expecting to get with the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, and they have said that they would be interested in helping us once council made its decision,” Jessie said. “I have no doubt that if we do our due diligence, God will do the rest.”

“Now it’s going to be a tough fight to get this thing done. But what we’re relying on is the fact that this is Columbus, Ga.,” Nelson said. “The people of this city have always been generous, they’ve always been united. We’re a tight people here in this city. We’ve got tremendous confidence that in the three years they’ve given us we’re going to be able to restore this old building.”

FHC is planning its first fund-raiser, a gospel and inspirational music concert at the RiverCenter, for June, Jessie said.

They plan to hold a grand opening of the Claflin Educational Complex in September of 2018, the 150th anniversary of the original Claflin, Jessie said.

This story was originally published February 25, 2015 at 2:20 PM with the headline "Friends of Claflin officially launch restoration project."