Community Archaeology and Collaborative Interpretation at a Rosenwald School

Summary

Of more than 5,000 Rosenwald Schools built during the 20th century in the southern United States, the Fairview School in Cave Spring, Georgia was constructed to provide an educational facility for the local African-American community. Following the site’s rediscovery in 2009, the local Cave Spring community and alumni of Fairview have spearheaded efforts to preserve and interpret Fairview’s historic campus. Most of the buildings located on the Fairview campus were demolished, originally jeopardizing the school’s eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places. Prior to this project, no archaeological work had been performed on sites related to The Rosenwald Fund beyond the scope of initial survey and documentation. By incorporating archaeological methods into a community driven project, this project serves to interpret an individual identity of Fairview as well as highlight how archaeologists were guided by relatives of Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, school faculty, and alumni of Fairview. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• The Interpretation and Presentation of Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Sites: Evolving Horizons   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 522