Category Archives: Harrisburg GA

Harrisburg School, 1956, Baldwin County

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This building was the last school to serve the historically Black community of Harrisburg, south of Milledgeville. I’m unsure if it was just a part of the school or if it was the whole entity.

Prior to construction of this facility, there was at least one earlier school in Harrisburg, which operated from 1871-1952. The present structure was almost certainly an Equalization School, and as a result, was probably only open for a couple of decades at most.

In 2021, the building was initially slated to be revived as a library, but now serves a broader purpose as the Collins P. Lee Harrisburg Community Center. Collins P. Lee (1937-2008) was the first African-American city councilman in Milledgeville and later served as a county commissioner. He had a 30-year career as an educator, working as a teacher and an assistant principal.

Update: The Georgia High School Basketball Project, which researches these forgotten schools more than any other entity I know of, notes that Harrisburg was open, in one form or another, from 1956-1988. They also found that Harrisburg had around 15 teachers for all of its existence. Historic Aerials confirmed this was only the front section and that it looks like a cafetorium on the side. A long wing stood behind it.

Do-Drop-In, 1940s, Harrisburg

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Located in the historic Harrisburg community south of Milledgeville, this was originally the home of the Do-Drop-In, a legendary local juke joint established by Sam and Iola Finney in the late 1940s. “The Soul of Georgia” notes that many famous acts graced the club’s stage, including Otis Redding, James Brown, Piano Red, Little Richard, and Red Foxx. James, and later Alma Finney, were subsequent owners. This survivor of the Chitlin’ Circuit is now home to Co-op de Ville, a non-profit bicycle transportation and repair service.

Randolph Cemetery, Harrisburg

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Randolph Cemetery, set on a precipitous hillside southwest of Milledgeville, has the appearance of a typical early-20th-century African-American burying ground, with many handmade headstones and grave markers sourced from local materials. This monumental folk art arch makes it anything but a typical cemetery. [It might also be of interest that it is believed that a descendant of one of George Washington’s slaves is buried here].

The top of the arch contains relief carvings of oak leaves, plus some possible clues about the builder. Below a random series of letters and numbers [K PL47, perhaps designating Knights of Pythias Lodge 47?] and the phrase “He Watches Over Me” is what appears to be the date 1923 and the initials F B and ARB. It’s possible that the B is for Brown, as there are several Browns in this cemetery, but that is only a guess.

On both sides of the arch, there are relief depictions of traditional miners’ tools.
Considering that mining activity has persisted for the better part of two centuries in this area, it’s possible the builder was involved in the industry in some way. I even believe he may have used rock from his job in the construction of the arch. The shovel on the right (above) also has initials ending with the letter “B”.
Nearly as fascinating as the arch is this adjacent headstone for Cora Randolph (31 December 1875?-26 July 1924). If you look closely at the top of the marker you will see a handprint to the left. I’m grateful to my friend Cynthia Jennings, who has documented cemeteries in all 159 Georgia counties and has a particular interest in African-American cemeteries, for suggesting I find this place. It immediately became one of my favorite African-American cemeteries and I hope to learn more about the arch. It’s among the most important vernacular funerary monuments in Georgia.