NRHP Nomination Form 10-900_Gay Place

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. 1. Name of Property

Historic name: The Reuben Gay Place __________________________________________________ Other names/site number: 116 Weldon Road _____________________________________________ Name of related multiple property listing: N/A _____________________________________________ (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing

2. Location

Street & number: 116 Weldon Road ____________________________________ Not for publication City or town: Fayetteville _____________________________________________ X Vicinity State: GA Code: __________ County: Fayette Code: __________ Zip Code: 30215-5512

3. State/Federal Agency Certification

As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this X nomination ___ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property X meets ___ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: ___national ___statewide X local Applicable National Register Criteria: X A ___B X C ___D _________________________________________________________________________________ Signature of certifying official/Title: _________________________________________________________________________________ Date _________________________________________________________________________________ State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government

4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that this property is: entered in the National Register determined eligible for the National Register determined not eligible for the National Register removed from the National Register other (explain:) _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Signature of the Keeper _________________________________________________________________________________ Date of Action

5. Classification

Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply.) Private: X __________ Public – Local ____________ Public – State ____________ Public – Federal ____________

Category of Property (Check only one box.) Building(s) X___________ District ____________ Site ____________ Structure ____________ Object ____________

Number of Resources within Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count) Contributing Noncontributing 2__________ _____________ buildings _____________ _____________ sites _____________ _____________ structures _____________ _____________ objects 2_____________ ______________ Total

Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register: 0

6. Function or Use Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) Domestic/Single Dwelling

Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) Domestic/Single Dwelling 7. Description Architectural Classification: OTHER/VERNACULAR OTHER/VERNACULAR Materials Foundation: Brick and concrete Walls: Wood clapboard, flush board, and vinyl siding Roof: Asphalt Other: N/A Description of present and historic physical appearance: The Reuben Gay House is a single story vernacular cottage that has historically been used and is currently being used as a private, single-family residence (photo #1). The house is located at 116 Weldon Road, approximately 5.6 miles south of Fayetteville, the county seat of Fayette County, Georgia. The house currently sits on 5.40 acres, in a traditionally rural area of the county. The house is located on the northwest corner of the lot, on the highest point of the property. The house originally featured a swept yard, maintained with dogwood brooms, but is currently surrounded by grass, mature black walnut, pecan, cedar, and oak trees and mature shrubbery. Other outbuildings are located on the lot including a log-shed barn directly east of the house (photo #2) as well as an outhouse (photo #3) to the southeast. According to family oral tradition, the house was built between 1866 and 1876 by former slave Reuben Gay. The house has remained in the possession of Gay family descendants since it was constructed. Exterior The original (historic) house is balloon-framed on brick piers. Based on a non-invasive, visual inspection, the historic floor joists appear to be logs from mature trees split vertically to span the width of the historic house (photo #4). A modern addition (room 107) containing two bathrooms, a laundry room and storage closet, was built on the east (rear) façade of the house in 2001 in order to comply with county ordinances requiring an indoor bathroom in residential structures (photo #5). Based on a non-invasive, visual observation of the exterior addition, it was likely built using modern stick framing with a concrete perimeter foundation. In order to build the modern addition, mature mulberry trees were cut down.

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The majority of the exterior of the historic house is covered in a painted clapboard siding, while the modern addition is covered with vinyl siding in a similar color and design. Underneath the porch on the west (front) façade of the house the exterior wall is covered in painted wood flush board siding (photo #6). There are no important decorative elements visible on the exterior of the house. Room 103 (storage shed) is a unique feature of the house. It is accessible only from the exterior of the house via a padlocked historic door and has wood plank walls, ceiling and floor. It is the only room in the house that has remained largely unchanged over time. It was historically used as a place to hang salted meat to dry. The rods on which the meat was hung are still present in the room. It also has the only original 6/6 double hung window left in the house. According to family oral history the room was used as a storage area for cotton, cotton seeds, preserved (canned) food and root vegetables. The electrical panel is located in this room. Roof The roof is cross-gabled and covered with modern asphalt shingles (photo #7 & 11). The original roof was likely covered with wood shakes. (photo #1) Porch A porch with a shed roof extends along the entirety of the historic south (side) of the house. (photo #7) The porch continues in an L-shape along the west (front) facade of the house. (photo #9) The porch roof is supported by a series of non-historic, square wood posts (photo #7 & 9). Square, wood porch railings are in place along the southeast portion of the side porch. No other porch railings are present. (photo #17) A wheelchair ramp is currently attached to the south façade of the house and provides access to the south porch. (photo #7) Original access to the south porch was likely via wood steps. By the 1950s-60s, however, steps made of concrete block were in place. (photo #16) Concrete block steps currently provide access to the west side of the porch. (photo #9) Windows and Doors There is one historic double-hung window containing one-over-six lights remaining in the house. This window is situated in the first (left) bay of the west (front) façade (photo #8). The other openings on the west façade include one modern front door and one modern, double-hung, one-over-one light window. On the south (side) façade, there are five modern, double-hung windows, each with one-over-one lights, and two doors. One door is historic and located under the front (west) porch (photo #9) and provides entrance to the exterior storage area (room 103). The second door is modern and located under the side (south) porch on the historic south façade of the house (photo #7). There is one modern, double-hung, one-over-one light window on the south façade of the modern addition (photo #5). On the east (rear) façade there are two modern, double-hung, one-over-one light windows in the modern addition and one modern, double-hung, one-over-one light window in the historic east (rear) façade of the house (photo #10). On the historic north (side) façade of the building, there is one modern wood door and four modern, double-hung, one-over-one light windows. (photo #11). Chimneys There are two chimneys in the house. The first chimney is located on the exterior of the house near the corner of the south and west facades. The chimney is made of river (or field) stone (possibly granite), stacked in a rubble pattern with mortar and skim-coated with stucco and/or modern concrete to the roof line. Above the roofline, this chimney consists of bricks laid in a running bond pattern with historic mortar. (photo #7) The second chimney is situated on the interior of the house between rooms 101 and 108. Above the roofline, the second chimney is also made of brick laid in a running bond pattern with historic mortar. It is unknown what the second chimney is made of below the roofline because it is not visible from the interior. However, it is likely that both chimneys are made from river (or field) stone up to the roof and brick above the roofline (photo #7). Interior The original house has six rooms and these are laid out in two parallel rows, each side having three rooms with no hallway connecting the rooms. The interior layout of the historic house appears intact and transitions from room to room are accomplished via doorways. (Floor plan) The historic interior walls are built of lath and plaster. The modern addition contains two full bathrooms along the north wall, a laundry room and a storage closet along the south wall, and a small hallway connecting the spaces.

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Fireplaces The historic interior has three fireplaces. The largest of the fireplaces is located on the south wall of room 102 (front parlor/bedroom). (photo #18) The other two make up a double fireplace connecting the east wall of room 101 (living room) and the west wall of room 108 (dining room). The fireplaces in rooms 101 and 108 have a similar folk Victorian mantle and trim design. (photo #12), However, much of the trim on the fireplace in room 101 was removed at some point in the 1950s-60s to accommodate a large heater. The fireplace in room 102 has no similar folk Victorian mantle or trim. Room Use According to family oral tradition room 102 was historically used as a front receiving room/parlor. It is currently used as a bedroom. Historic hardwood floors are visible in rooms 102 and 104 (bedroom), other hardwood floors may be present under vinyl flooring in rooms 101, 105 (bedroom), and 106 (kitchen). Room 106 (kitchen) experienced a fire in the mid-2000s. The room was gutted and new kitchen cabinets and appliances were installed at that time. Room 106 has always served as a kitchen. Historically, the well was located outside the side door located in the north wall of the room. Historically there was a wood burning stove located in the northeast corner of the room. (photo #19) Interior Doors Two historic interior doors, located between rooms 102 and 104 and between rooms 102 and 101, are made of a three-slab (board) wood construction with historic hardware. Both doors have a cutout in the lower left corner to allow, according to family oral tradition, a cat to access the room when the door is closed (photo # 13). The door connecting rooms 101 and 108 is a six-panel wood door likely installed in the 1920s-30s. (photo #20) The four panel closet door in room 108 was likely installed during the same period. (photo #21) The remaining interior doors appear to be modern. Interior Trim Neither the baseboards nor the crown molding in the original portion of the house appears to be historic, which likely indicates the materials used on the interior walls have been modified over time. Family oral tradition indicates that wood walls were originally covered in newspaper and that this original covering is likely still present underneath the current interior wall finish. The interior door and window trim, however, appears to be historic (photo #14). Outbuildings There is one historic outbuilding located on the property and its historic use was as a barn. This structure was constructed at or near the same time as the house and is located east of the house. This barn is a single pen, wood frame structure with a gabled roofline and historic unpainted wood clapboard siding (photo #15). The roofing material is metal. There is a second outbuilding, an outhouse (not in the original location), located to the south of the barn (southeast of the house) that was used by residents until the modern (2001) bathroom addition was built. According to family oral tradition there were several historic outbuildings located on the property that are no longer extant. A chicken house/coop was located behind the house adjacent to the southeast corner of the historic house and is visible in photo #1. A mule lot, hog, and cow pens were connected to the existing log-shed barn (see photo 22). A smokehouse was located northeast of the house between the house and barn. Additionally, there was an open-air workshop area with blacksmithing tools located on the south side of the house under mature pecan trees. The original outhouse was located between the chicken house/coop and the existing barn. There are no other additional manmade elements (roadways, contemporary structures or landscape features) currently associated with this house. According to family oral tradition, however, there was a below-ground storm cellar located to the west of the house along what is now the bank of Weldon Road. This storm cellar was removed in the mid-1930s during the widening/expansion of Weldon Road. Mechanical Systems Historically the house utilized a lightning rod system to minimize the potential of fire due to a lightning strike. This system remained in place, according to family oral tradition, as late as the 1930s. Electricity was run to this house and its immediate neighbors between 1947 and 1950. Currently, the mechanical systems consist of 3 window air conditioning units, 2 space heaters, a propane tank located on the north side of the house, plumbing and cable, phone, and electrical services. Condition Some deterioration is present on the Gay House, including significant paint chipping on the east gable end of the original house. The house also has settling issues; work has been done to maintain the brick pier foundation, though the structure is not level. The one remaining historic double hung window along the west façade is deteriorated though can easily be rehabbed (see photo #8). The exterior chimney on the southeast corner has crumbling stucco and/or concrete coating below the roofline, exposing the river (or field) stone that makes up the lower half of the chimney’s construction. Along the south

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façade, the house is missing some fascia boards that could be causing moisture infiltration issues. There is no gutter system on either the historic or modern portions of the house. 8. Statement of Significance Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark “X” in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register Listing.)

A. Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history.

B. Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.

C. Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or

represents work of a master, or possesses high artistic values or represents a significant and distinguishable entities whose components lack individual distinction.

D. Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

Criteria Considerations (Mark “X” in all the boxes that apply.)

A. Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes B. Removed from its original location C. A birthplace or grave D. A cemetery E. A reconstructed building, object, or structure F. A commemorative property G. Less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the last 50 years

Areas of Significance

x Ethnic Heritage (Black) x Distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction x Distinctive features x Distinctive methods of construction

Period of Significance

x 1865–1946 Significant Dates

x 1866-76 – Construction of house x 2001 – modern bathroom addition x ca. mid-2000s – fire in kitchen and replacement with modern kitchen

Significant Persons (Complete if Criterion B is marked above.)

x N/A Cultural Affiliation

x N/A Architect/Builder

x N/A

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Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) The Reuben Gay Place is significant under Criterion A because of its contribution to an understanding of the broad patterns of history that shaped the African American experience in rural Fayette County, Georgia after the Civil War and until the end of World War II. Reuben Gay, Sr. and his wife Edy, both former slaves, built a house and began accumulating land in the Inman community of Fayette County, Georgia in the years immediately following the Civil War. The Inman community, settled by white landholders in 1821 after the Creeks were forcibly removed by the State of Georgia1, is located approximately five miles south of Fayetteville, the county seat of Fayette County. It is bordered on the east by the Flint River, on the south by the city limits of Woolsey, on the west by Woolsey-Brooks Road, and on the north by the settlement known as Harps. Inman was an incorporated town made up of twenty land lots until 1971 when it dropped its incorporation.2 The Reuben Gay Place is located at 116 Weldon Road, north of the historic center of the Inman community. Land ownership by African Americans in Fayette County during this time period not common, so the number of acres accumulated by Reuben Gay, Sr. in Inman was unique and significant. The Fort family, like the Gays, did acquire some acreage in the area, but the Fort’s land acquisition was not on the same scale as the Gay family land holdings. In the decades following its construction, the Reuben Gay Place, in contrast with the majority of its contemporaries in the African American community, would serve as the center point of a prosperous post-antebellum black family, reflecting a rise through agricultural, social, community, and religious activities. African American communities in Fayette County in the period after the Civil War were small and often located on or near land owned by former slaveholders. Many of the African American families living in the Inman community following the Civil War, including the Gays, Prayors, Hands, Forts, Hunnicuts, Whitakers, Carltons and Westmorelands, were large, extended family groups that were inter-related by marriage. Like other African American families in the county, many did not migrate further than a few miles from their former slaveholders and most did not own the land on which they lived and/or worked. The location of fifteen historic African American churches, seven associated historic African American church cemeteries and two historic African American family cemeteries in Fayette County provide clues as to where these historic populations were clustered throughout the county. Inman, where the New Hope Methodist Episcopal (now New Hope United Methodist) Church was founded in 1872, was one such historic center of African American population in Fayette County. With the end of slavery in the American South and the rise Jim Crow, African Americans faced discrimination in all public spheres of life. Within this framework Reuben Gay, Sr. was able to acquire a significant amount of land surrounding his home. Reuben applied his skills in agriculture, developed while a slave, to provide economic stability for his family. Despite the oppressive system faced by former slaves during this time, Gay, Sr. became an accomplished farmer growing cotton and corn on his own land and providing his agricultural management skills as an overseer on nearby farms. Reuben Gay and his family's participation within the community was integral in creating a spiritual and educational support system that extended outside the family circle. Donating their time to the New Hope Methodist Episcopal Church and school, among other community organizations, they fostered a commitment to creating an improved way life for the African Americans within the Inman area. At the end of Reuben's life in 1898 his estate consisted of land, including a working farm, harvested cotton and cotton seed. He died intestate, but after the majority of his land holdings were liquidated and his debts satisfied, his family was left with a modest financial inheritance and his wife maintained ownership of the land surrounding the house. This modest financial foundation and tradition within the family of land ownership benefited succeeding generations of the family. His children, including Reuben, Jr. and his descendants, continued in their father’s footsteps as they worked to reassemble a significant portion of the family’s land holdings in the early decades of the 20th century. Through successful agricultural endeavors and engagement with religious and community organizations, the family’s standing within the community was maintained. Population shifts in the African American community as a whole in Fayette County were pronounced in the decades leading up to and immediately following World War II. In 1870 there were approximately 2,200 black residents of Fayette County, Georgia and that number remained steady, according to U.S. Census records, through the end of the 19th century and into the first decades of the 20th century.3 By 1930, however, the black population in Fayette County, GA had dropped to just

1 “American Indian Land Cessions in Georgia.” About North Georgia website. http://www.aboutnorthgeorgia.com/ang/land_cessions. Accessed 23 November 2016. 2 “The History of Fayette County, 1821 – 1971.” Fayette County Historical Society, Inc. 1977. p. 582. 3 Georgia. Fayette County. 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 U.S. Census records. Ancestry.com. 5 November 2016.

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over 1,900 residents.4 By 1940 there were 1,700 black residents in the county5, by 1950 just over 1,4006, and by 1960 there were just over 900.7 This reduction in population over the course of three decades was most likely in response to five factors: (1) a drastic decline in cotton production by the mid-1920s due to the infestation of cotton crops by the boll weevil8, (2) job shortages related to the Great Depression of the 1930s, (3) a shortage of affordable housing in the county, (4) the migration of African American workers from rural to urban areas in response to increased war-related job opportunities in urban areas in the 1940s, and (5) post-war job opportunities in urban areas in the 1950s and 1960s. This migration may also have been in response to a perception that racial suppression and/or discrimination was less in urban areas and/or in northern states. Reuben Gay, Jr., his wife Carrie and their progeny retained ownership of and added acreage to the land developed and passed down by Reuben Gay, Sr. Over the course of the first three decades of the 20th century the family would work to reassemble a significant portion of the acreage sold off during the probate of Reuben Sr.’s estate. The family continued to engage in agricultural activities, and remained part of the cultural fabric of the rural African American community in Fayette County throughout all of these decades. They resisted the forces that drew many of their extended family and neighbors away from Fayette County. The Gay family was able to maintain ownership of their own land during a time when many chose or were forced by economic or social reality to sever ties with the Inman community. The Reuben Gay Place is significant under Criterion C because it represents a significant and distinguishable entity even though its individual components may lack individual architectural distinction. The house displays distinctive features and methods of construction and it is a rare, if not singular example, within Fayette County, of a vernacular house built by a former slave in the years immediately following the Civil War. In comparison to other houses currently located in the Inman community, the Reuben Gay Place is unique. The house represents a post-antebellum home of a former slave continuously occupied by the family since it was constructed in the latter part of the 19th century. Other houses in the Inman community, built in the same period, are located on Hills Bridge Road and are larger, more high-style examples built by white members of the community. The majority of housing stock used by members of the African American community in Inman from the end of the 19th through the middle of the 20th centuries, along with the “wagon roads” used to access these houses, are no longer extant. The modern houses in the community were built in the middle part of the 20th century and are either American Small House or Ranch house types. While it appears that the Reuben Gay Place is a gable wing cottage, due to the L-shaped porch and the cross gabled roof, it is a purely vernacular house type with an internal floor plan made of up six rooms arranged in parallel pairs with no entrance hall. The house was likely built using balloon framing on a brick pier foundation. Modern additions to the house were made only in the last 20 years. (Floor Plan) Arguably, the most unique features of this house is Room 103, the storage shed. (photo #23) It is original to the house, has always been used for storage and appears to have always been secured with a lock. It has one historic exterior door that opens onto the porch and one historic double-hung 6/6 window (photo #8). There is no access to the room from the interior of the house. It is also the one room with the least amount of change over time. When the house was built it was the area where meat was salted and hung to dry. Wood rods were stretched from wall to wall and the meat was hung from these rods. The rods are still extant. It was also used at other times of year to store cotton seeds and harvested cotton, as well as preserved (canned) food and root vegetables. While family oral history does not address the reason for its placement adjacent to the front porch a likely conclusion was that Reuben Gay, Sr. was concerned for the security of items stored in this space. Additionally, according to family oral history, a room such as this one was located in the home of at least one extended family member living near the corner of Hills Bridge Road and Highway 92, but that house has since been demolished. A distinctive construction method used in the Reuben Gay place are the two chimneys built of rubble stone on the bottom and brick above the roofline. (photos #25 & 26) The use of stone instead of brick in the chimneys is indicative of a practice used in chimney construction in the Inman Community during this time. Another example of this type of chimney construction can be found on the log building adjacent to the Inman Store (ca. 1885—currently referred to as the McLucas General Store) south of the Reuben Gay Place on Hills Bridge Road. (photo #24) It is likely that the builders of both structures made use of locally available materials to construct the chimneys. In the case of the Reuben Gay Place, the chimney located on the south façade and visible from the yard is covered over in a stucco and/or concrete mixture to support 4 Georgia. Fayette County. 1930 U.S. Census records. Ancestry.com. 5 November 2016. 5 Georgia. Fayette County. 1940 U.S. Census records. Ancestry.com. 5 November 2016. 6 Georgia. Fayette County. 1950 U.S. Census records. Ancestry.com. 5 November 2016. 7 Georgia. Fayette County. 1960 U.S. Census records. Ancestry.com. 5 November 2016. 8 Roberts, Phillip M. “Boll Weevil.” New Georgia Encyclopedia website. 18 May 2004. Revised by NGE staff 12 October 2016. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/boll-weevil. Accessed 23 November 2016.

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and/or disguise its rubble stone construction. The second, interior chimney is built within the wall and invisible except for the brick portion that extends above the roof. The brick on both chimneys appears to be laid in a running bond pattern. A second distinctive construction method used in the Reuben Gay Place is the use of full length, half-round tree trunks used as floor joists. (photo #4) Again, the builder utilized locally available materials to construct the house and the trees used in its construction were likely cleared from the surrounding land. Historical Background of the Reuben Gay, Sr. Family and the Reuben Gay Place Reuben Gay, Sr. was born into slavery in Marlborough (Marlboro) County, South Carolina around 1830 on the plantation of Revolutionary War veteran William Stubbs, Sr. He is first noted in government records as one of eight male slaves, aged 10 to 23, in the 1840 U.S. census slave schedule associated with the Michael Ikener (Ikoner) family in Washington County, Georgia. Ikener was the son-in-law of William Stubbs, Sr. and it is likely that Reuben left South Carolina with the Ikeners when they moved to Georgia. At some point between 1840 and 1853, the Ikener family sold or transferred Reuben to Ikener’s brother-in-law William Stubbs, Jr. William was the son of William Stubbs, Sr. and was married to Sarah Hubbard Stubbs. The 1850 U.S. Census slave schedule for Fayette County, Georgia notes Reuben as a “20-year-old male” in the Sarah Stubbs household.9 Sarah Stubbs died in 1853 and her estate was liquidated. At that time Reuben, his wife Edy, his children, his brother Henry and several other slaves were listed by name as part of the Sarah Stubbs estate inventory. This family group was sold to the Gay family of Fayette County, GA in 1853. Reuben is noted in the 1860 U.S. census slave schedule as a 30-year-old black male associated with Isaac P. Gay in Fayette County.10 There were approximately 2,000 slaves residing in Fayette County, GA in 1860 according to U.S. census records.11

The Civil War began in April 1861 and ended in April 1865. When Reuben,, Sr. gained his freedom in 1865, he adopted the surname Gay. His brother Henry, who had also been owned by both the Stubbs and the Gay families, adopted the surname Stubbs. The Reuben Gay family settled in the Inman community of Fayette County, GA, near the former Stubbs Plantation, while the Henry Stubbs family migrated to Cherokee County, Alabama. In 1865, Reuben Gay, Sr. was 35 years old and was married to Edith (Edy, Eady, Edie) Smith Gay (b. 1825) and had fathered six children: Anna or Amy (b. 1843), Matilda (b. 1844), Spencer (b. 1845), Georgiann (birth date unknown), Elijah (b. 1856), Henry (b. 1859), and Charlotte (b. 1860). By 1870, Reuben, Sr. and Edy had two more children: Roxana (b. 1866) and Reuben, Jr. (b. 1870). 12 Reuben Sr. was a skilled farmer and after the Civil War continued in this vocation. In addition to farming his own land, Reuben Sr., according to family oral tradition, also served as an “overseer,” or farm manager, on farms owned by local white families. The primary crop in Fayette County after the Civil War was cotton.13 It is likely that Reuben Sr. served in the capacity of farm manager for several landowners, including Dr. E. B. Weldon, M.D. and Daniel A. McLucas, two prominent white members of the Inman community. Dr. Weldon, in addition to his medical practice, also farmed. McLucas was the owner of the Inman Store, a general mercantile located on Hills Bridge Road.14 In 1872, the New Hope Methodist Episcopal Church was established in Inman by the African American community on two acres of land along Weldon Road. (photos #32 & 33) The Gay family was one of the founding families of the church and Spencer Gay, Reuben Gay, Sr.’s eldest son, was one of the church’s first trustees.15 Several African American families lived in Inman after the Civil War. The Gay family owned land along Inman and Weldon Roads. Extended members of the Gay family lived south of the Gay Place along Weldon Road. Members of the Fort family owned smaller land parcels south of the Gay Place along Weldon Road, as well as west of Highway 92 near Hills Bridge Road. Members of the Hand family lived north and east of the Gay Place near Morgan Road. The Prayor family lived west of the Gay Place near the Harp settlement off Hills Bridge Road. The Carlton family lived south of the Gay Place in the vicinity of Hills Bridge Road and the Whitaker family lived south of Hills Bridge Road and west of Highway 92. This population distribution likely led to the choice of the centrally located site along Weldon Road for the New Hope Church and school and placed the Gay family and their home at the center of the Inman African American community.

9 Georgia. Fayette County. 1850 U.S. Census slave schedule. Digital Images. Ancestry.com. 16 October 2016. 10 Georgia. Fayette County. 1860 U.S. Census slave schedule. Digital Images. Ancestry.com. 5 November 2016. 11 Georgia. Fayette County. 1850 U.S. Census slave schedule. Ancestry.com. 5 November 2016. 12 Georgia. Fayette County. 1870 U.S. Census population schedule. Digital Images. Ancestry.com. 16 October 2016. 13 “The History of Fayette County, 1821 – 1971.” Fayette County Historical Society, Inc. 1977. p. 592. 14 “The History of Fayette County, 1821 – 1971.” Fayette County Historical Society, Inc. 1977. p. 586-598. 15 “The History of Fayette County, 1821 – 1971.” Fayette County Historical Society, Inc. 1977. p. 586.

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The earliest known reference to the house built by Reuben Gay, Sr. and located at 116 Weldon Road is a family story that Ishmael (Mann) Harkness and Gay, Sr.’s daughter, Matilda (Matildy, Tilda, Tildy) Gay, were married in the house in November 1876.16 Harkness was a Civil War veteran, having served in the 48th United States Colored Infantry from August, 1863 to March, 1864, and is honored as one of 209,145 black troops who served in the Union Army during the Civil War at the African American Civil War Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.17 Ishmael and Tilda Harkness moved to Cherokee County, Alabama after being married in Inman, Georgia. By 1883 Fayette County tax records indicate that Reuben Gay, Sr. had acquired approximately 172 acres of land in the 496th General Militia district of Fayette County, Georgia.18 His acreage was within land lots 11 and 22 and located west of the Flint River. (photo 27) Reuben Gay, Sr. died without a will in 1898. Daniel Allen (D.A.) McLucas served as the executor of Gay, Sr.’s estate, selling off the estate’s assets, which included cotton and land, to satisfy debtors. According to a legal notice in the Weekly Constitution dated 21 October 1879, McLucas may have habitually served as estate administrator for people within the Inman community.19 The value of the estate’s assets was greater than its debts, so Reuben Sr.’s living children inherited approximately $30 each once all debts were paid. The house and, according to family tradition, the current acreage surrounding the house remained in the possession of Edy Gay during and after the probate of Reuben Sr.’s estate. Edy Gay lived in the house with her son Reuben Gay, Jr. and his wife Carrie Fort Gay (b. 1873) until her death in 1899. (photo #28) Possession of the house passed from Edy to Reuben, Jr. upon Edy’s death. Reuben, Jr. and his family continued to live in the house. The couple raised five children in the house including Charity (b. 1895), Loubie (b. 1901), William (b. 1904), Lottie Bell (b. 1905), and Grace or Gracie (b. 1909). In 1904 Reuben, Jr. began to reassemble a portion of his father’s land holdings by purchasing 77.5 acres originally owned by Reuben Sr. from Dr. Weldon for $600.20 Reuben, Jr. was also a farmer and also managed farm operations for local landowners. Reuben, Jr. was a prominent member of the New Hope Methodist Episcopal Church and a leading participant in the congregation’s traditional shape-note singing gatherings. The roots of shape-note singing within the African-American community pre-dates the Civil War and is differentiated from the style of shape note singing in white churches called, “Sacred Harp” through the use of a 7, rather than a 4, note scale. Shape note singing was an integral part of black church culture in the South both before and after the Civil War and through the early 20th century. The influence of this style of singing can be seen in the modern Gospel music that gained popularity in black churches in the 1930s.21 Shape note singing is still an important activity at New Hope United Methodist Church. Another important community organization the Gay family was instrumental in maintaining was the Union Benevolent Association (U.B.A.), founded in Inman in 1885. This lodge was organized to aid the sick and pay burial expenses for dead members of the African American community in Inman.22 The only school for African American children in Fayette County until the 1940s was housed in a building owned by the U.B.A. The building was located next door to the New Hope Methodist Episcopal Church in Inman. The official name of this school is unknown, although it was likely called the New Hope School due to its proximity and strong connection to the church. In 1955, the all black Fayette County Training School was opened and students from the New Hope School transferred to the new school and the old school was closed.23 Reuben, Jr. died in 1913 and the possession of the house transferred to his wife, Carrie Fort Gay. Carrie Gay lived in the house until her death in 1946. After Carrie’s death, land was parceled out to Reuben, Jr. and Carrie’s children as part of an internal family agreement. A random draw from a hat settled the question of which of their children would inherit the house and surrounding acreage and how the additional acreage would be divided. Carrie’s daughter, Lottie Bell Gay Hand (b. 1905), and her husband Lucious Hand won the drawing to live in the house.

16 Official Affidavit as part of U.S. Army Pension Application. Tilda Gay Harkness. Notarized by Henry Gay and Sol F. Foster. Inman, GA. 16 March 19--. Digital Image. 17 “Certificate of Honor: Ishmael Mann, 48th Regiment United States Colored Infantry.” African American Civil War Memorial Museum. Washington, D.C. 18 Georgia. Fayette County. 1879-1883. Property Tax Digest ledger. Digital Images. Ancestry.com. 19 October 2016. 19 Legal Notice of Estate of Ephraim Sweat. Blum-Barton, Linda. USGenWeb Archive. http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/fayette/newspapers/noticeto1113gnw.txt. Accessed 16 October 2016. 20 Ledger. Fayette County Court Records. 1901 and 1904. 21 Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. “A West Georgia Tradition: African American Shape Note Singing” website. http://www.storiesfrommainstreet2.org/exhibits/show/africanamericanshapenotesingin. Accessed 16 October 2016. 22 “The History of Fayette County, 1821 – 1971.” Fayette County Historical Society, Inc. 1977. p. 406. 23 “The History of Fayette County, 1821 – 1971.” Fayette County Historical Society, Inc. 1977. p. 403.

11

Lucious and Lottie Hand continued the family tradition of farming, growing cotton and corn and raising livestock on the acreage that made up what was referred to locally as the “Reuben Gay Place.” The couple raised eight children in the house including: Hazel (b. 1922), Lucious, Jr. (b. 1927), Gracie or Grace (b. 1934), Austin (b. 1936), Don (b. 1938), Marvin (b. 1941), Johnnie or Johnny (b. 1944), and Rachel (b. 1947). (photos #29, 30, & 31) Another important community organization the Gay/Hand family was instrumental in organizing and maintaining is the Bright Hope #465 Lodge of the Free & Accepted Ancient York Masons. This lodge, which was established in 1972, was organized under the jurisdiction of the Most Worshipful Smooth Ashlar Grand Lodge Free & Accepted Ancient York Masons, Prince Hall Origin National-Compact. The women’s component to the Bright Hope #465 lodge is the Ruth Murphy Chapter No. 112. (photo #34) The lodge currently occupies the former U.B.A./school building next door to the New Hope United Methodist Church on Weldon Road. Lottie Gay Hand died in 1986 and possession of the house transferred to her daughter, Grace Hand. Grace Hand had two children: Carolyn Grooms, who died in 2012, and Daniel Wesley Hand. Grace Hand died in 2015 and possession of the house transferred to her son, Daniel Wesley Hand. Today there are 5.40 acres associated with the Reuben Gay Place and the house still serves as a private residence. The land is no longer agricultural. 9. Major Bibliographical References Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form.) Primary Sources

1) “American Indian Land Cessions in Georgia.” About North Georgia website. http://www.aboutnorthgeorgia.com/ang/land_cessions. Accessed 23 November 2016.

2) “Certificate of Honor: Ishmael Mann, 48th Regiment United States Colored Infantry.” African American Civil War Memorial Museum. Washington, D.C.

3) Georgia. Fayette County. 1850 U.S. Census slave schedule. Ancestry.com. 5 November 2016. 4) Georgia. Fayette County. 1860 U.S. Census slave schedule. Digital Images. Ancestry.com. 5 November 2016. 5) Georgia. Fayette County. 1870 U.S. Census population schedule. Digital Images. Ancestry.com. 16 October

2016. 6) Georgia. Fayette County. 1880 U.S. Census population schedule. Digital Images. Ancestry.com. 16 October

2016. 7) Georgia. Fayette County. 1900 U.S. Census population schedule. Digital Images. Ancestry.com. 16 October

2016. 8) Georgia. Fayette County. 1910 U.S. Census population schedule. Digital Images. Ancestry.com. 16 October

2016. 9) Georgia. Fayette County. 1920 U.S. Census population schedule. Digital Images. Ancestry.com. 16 October

2016. 10) Georgia. Fayette County. 1930 U.S. Census population schedule. Digital Images. Ancestry.com. 16 October

2016. 11) Georgia. Fayette County. 1940 U.S. Census population schedule. Digital Images. Ancestry.com. 16 October

2016. 12) Georgia. Fayette County. 1950 U.S. Census population schedule. Digital Images. Ancestry.com. 16 October

2016. 13) Georgia. Fayette County. 1960 U.S. Census population schedule. Digital Images. Ancestry.com. 16 October

2016. 14) Georgia. Fayette County. 1879-1883. Property Tax Digest ledger. Digital Images. Ancestry.com. 19 October

2016. 15) Ledger. Fayette County Court Records. 1901 and 1904. 16) Legal Notice of Estate of Ephraim Sweat. Blum-Barton, Linda. USGenWeb Archive.

http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/fayette/newspapers/noticeto1113gnw.txt. Accessed 16 October 2016. 17) Map – General Militia Districts in Fayette County. Fayette County Historical Society. Fayetteville, GA. 18) Official Affidavit as part of U.S. Army Pension Application. Tilda Gay Harkness. Notarized by Henry Gay and Sol

F. Foster. Inman, GA. 16 March 19--. Digital Image. 19) Roberts, Phillip M. “Boll Weevil.” New Georgia Encyclopedia website. 18 May 2004. Revised by NGE staff 12

October 2016. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/business-economy/boll-weevil. Accessed 23 November 2016.

Secondary Sources 20) Hand-drawn map of Inman, GA. Prayor, Horace. Decatur, GA. 26 November 2016. 21) “The History of Fayette County, 1821 – 1971.” Fayette County Historical Society, Inc. 1977.

12

22) Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. “A West Georgia Tradition: African American Shape Note Singing” website. http://www.storiesfrommainstreet2.org/exhibits/show/africanamericanshapenotesingin. Accessed 16 October 2016.

Interviews 23) Blackburn, Stanley. Interview with Phillipé Gonzalez and Stacy Rieke. Personal Interview. Inman—Fayetteville,

GA. 9 September 2016. 15 October 2016. 24) Hand, Donald. Interview with Phillipé Gonzalez and Stacy Rieke. Personal Interview. Inman—Fayetteville, GA. 9

September 2016. 15 October 2016. 25) McCox, Donna Hann. Interview with Stacy Rieke. Personal Interview. Decatur, GA. 15 October 2016. 15 October

2016. 11 November 2016. 26) Pittman, Rachel. Interview with Phillipé Gonzalez and Stacy Rieke. Personal Interview. Inman—Fayetteville, GA.

9 September 2016. 15 October 2016. 27) Prayor, Horace. Interview with Phillipé Gonzalez and Stacy Rieke. Personal Interview. Decatur, GA. 21 October

2016. 23 November 2016. Previous documentation on file (NPS):

____ preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested ____ previously listed in the National Register ____ previously determined eligible by the National Register ____ designated a National Historic Landmark ____ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey #____________ ____ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # __________ ____ recorded by Historic American Landscape Survey # ___________

Primary location of additional data:

____State Historic Preservation Office ____ Other State agency ____ Federal agency ____ Local government ____ University __X_ Other Name of repository: Fayette County Historical Society

Historic Resources Survey Number (if assigned): Resource #FY-284; Fayette County

10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property 5.40 acres Use either the UTM system or latitude/longitude coordinates Latitude/Longitude Coordinates (decimal degrees) Datum if other than WGS84:__________ (Enter coordinates to 6 decimal places) 1. Latitude: 33°23'51.3"N 2. Longitude: 84°24'35.1"W Or UTM References Datum (indicated on USGS map): NAD 1927 or NAD 1983 1. Zone: Easting: Northing:

13

Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property.) Beginning at the southwest corner of the 116 Weldon Road lot (PIN 0506 -16), thence northerly along the Weldon Road right of way for approximately 242 feet to the northwest corner of the 116 Weldon Road lot, thence easterly along the boundary with PIN 0506 028 lot approximately 743 feet, thence northerly approximately 181 feet, thence easterly approximately 248 feet, thence southerly approximately 379 feet, thence westerly approximately 891 feet. Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected.) These boundaries were selected based on tax record documentation in Fayette County, Georgia. 11. Form Prepared By

Name/title: Phillipé Gonzalez, graduate student Organization: Georgia State University Heritage Preservation Program Street & number: _____________________________________________________ City or town: _________________________ state: ____________ zip code: ___________ E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: _________________________ Date: 1 December 2016 Name/title: Stacy Rieke, graduate student Organization: Georgia State University Heritage Preservation Program Street & number: _____________________________________________________ City or town: _________________________ state: ____________ zip code: ___________ E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: _________________________ Date: 1 December 2016

Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: x Maps: A USGS map or equivalent (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. x Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Key all photographs to this map. x Additional items: (Check with the SHPO, TPO, or FPO for any additional items.) Photographs Submit clear and descriptive photographs. The size of each image must be 1600x1200 pixels (minimum), 3000x2000 preferred, at 300 ppi (pixels per inch) or larger. Key all photographs to the sketch map. Each photograph must be numbered and that number must correspond to the photograph number on the photo log. For simplicity, the name of the photographer, photo date, etc. may be listed once on the photograph log and doesn’t need to be labeled on every photograph. Photo Log Name of Property: City or Vicinity: County: State: Photographer: Date Photographed: Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating direction of camera: 1 of ___. Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C.460 et seq.). Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 100 hours per response including time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Office of Planning and Performance Management. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1849 C. Street, NW, Washington, DC.

Reuben Gay House - 116 Weldon Road

Sources: Esri, HERE, DeLorme, USGS, Intermap, increment P Corp., NRCAN,Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), Esri (Thailand), MapmyIndia, ©OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community

Roads

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2016

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Orientation of Existing Structures at 116 Weldon Road, Fayetteville Image Captured Saturday, 7 May 2016

Historic Barn

Historic House

2001 Addition

Photos

Photo #1—Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County,

GA; photographer unknown; ca. 1928; exterior or Reuben Gay Place; 1 of 34

Photo #2 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photo by P. Gonzalez; 9/15/16; historic log-shed barn; 2 of 34

Photo #3 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photo by P. Gonzalez; 9/15/16; non-historic outhouse; 3 of 34

Photo #4 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photo by P. Gonzalez; 9/15/16; floor joist in historic portion of

house; 4 of 34

Photo #5 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA;

photo by P. Gonzalez; 9/15/16; modern rear addition; 5 of 34

Photo #6 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photo by S. Rieke; 9/15/16; wood flush board siding on west

façade under porch; 6 of 34

Photo #7 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA;

photo by P. Gonzalez; 9/15/16; view of south façade with gabled roof, modern asphalt shingles, shed roof porch, &

chimneys; 7 of 34

Photo #8 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA;

photo by P. Gonzalez; 9/15/16; West façade – only remaining historic window; 8 of 34

Photo #9 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA;

photo by P. Gonzalez; 9/15/16; west façade; 9 of 34

Photo #10 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County,

GA; photo by P. Gonzalez; 9/15/16; East façade - windows; 10 of 34

Photo #11 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County,

GA; photo by P. Gonzalez; 9/15/16; North façade windows and doors; cross –gable roof; 11 of 34

Photo #12 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photo by S. Rieke; 9/15/16; folk Victorian mantle trim

(intact) in room 108; 12 of 34

Photo #13 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photo by S. Rieke; 9/15/16; historic wood door between rooms 101 and 102, note cat cut-out in lower corner of door;

13 of 34

Photo #14 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photo by P. Gonzalez; 9/15/16; historic door trim in room

102 (looking into room 104); 14 of 34

Photo #15 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County,

GA; photo by P. Gonzalez; 9/15/16; gabled roofline on historic barn; 15 of 34

Photo #16– Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photographer unknown; ca. 1950s; concrete block steps

accessing south (side) porch; 16 of 34

Photo #17 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County,

GA; photo by S. Rieke; 9/15/16; south façade - porch rails; 17 of 34

Photo #18 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photo by P. Gonzalez; 9/15/16; fireplace and mantle in

room 102; 18 of 34

Photo #19 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County,

GA; photographer unknown; ca. 1930s; room 106 (historic

kitchen exterior door on north wall and wood burning stove on northeast wall); 19 of 34

Photo #20 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photo by S. Rieke; 9/15/16; 6 panel wood door between

rooms 101 and 108; 20 of 34

Photo #21 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photo by S. Rieke; 9/15/16; 4 panel wood closet door in

room; 21 of 34

Photo #22 – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County,

GA; photographer unknown; ca 1930s-40s; historic barn (left), adjacent mule, hog & cow pens and additional outbuilding (no

longer extant – right); 22 of 34

Photo #23– Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photo by P. Gonzalez; 9/15/16; Room 103 (storage shed) with original

rods that held meat to dry—original ceiling and walls; 23 of 34

Photo #24– McLucas Store; Fayette County, GA; photo by S. Rieke; 10/15/16; Rubble stone chimney attached to log building adjacent to

McLucas General Store on Hills Bridge Road in the Inman Community (Fayette County, GA) and similar to the chimneys at the Reuben Gay Place; 24 of 34

Photo #25 (left)– Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photo by P. Gonzalez; 9/15/16; Rubble stone chimney on the

south façade of the Reuben Gay Place; 25 of 34 Photo #26 (right) – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photo by S. Rieke; 9/15/16; Close-up of rubble stone chimney

construction on right top corner of chimney on south façade; 26 of 34

Photo #27 Fayette County; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; map; General Militia Districts in Fayette County, Georgia; 27 of 34

Photo #28– Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photographer unknown; ca. 1898-99; (left to right) Ophelia Gay, Carrie

Fort Gay (seated with infant), Charity Gay (infant), Reuben Gay, Jr., Edie Gay, Loubie Gay; 28 of 34

Photo #29– Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photographer unknown; ca. 1950s; Marvin Hand (left) and mother

Lottie Mae Gay Hand (right) pictured on the south side of the house facing east with a view behind them to the west; 29 of 34

Photo #30 (left) – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photographer unknown; ca. 1960s; Hand/Gay Family Christmas;

30 of 35 Photo #31 (right) – Reuben Gay Place; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photographer unknown; ca. 1960s; Rachel Hand

Pittman on her wedding day—photographed in Room 108 (dining room); 31 of 34

Photo #32 – New Hope United Methodist Church; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photographer unknown; ca. 1950; Photo of former

New Hope Methodist Episcopal (now United Methodist) Church building; 32 of 34

Photo #33 – New Hope United Methodist Church; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photo by S. Rieke; 10/15/16; New Hope Methodist

United Methodist Church building; 33 of 34

Photo #34 – New Hope United Methodist Church; Fayetteville; Fayette County, GA; photo by S. Rieke; 10/15/16; Bright Hope #465

Lodge of the Free & Accepted Ancient York Masons on Weldon Road adjacent to New Hope United Methodist Church; the two-story portion of the building on the left housed the New Hope School; 34 of 34

101LIVINGROOM

102BEDROOM

103SHED 104

BEDROOM105

BEDROOM106

KITCHEN

107BATHROOMADDITION108

DINNINGROOM

N

PLANT

GEOMETRICAL

PREVAILING WIND

GAY HOUSEPHOTO KEY

COVEREDPORCH

RAMP1

4

SHED

OUTHOUSE

3

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7

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10

11

1213

14

15

2

16 17

18

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26

101LIVINGROOM

102BEDROOM

103SHED 104

BEDROOM105

BEDROOM106

KITCHEN

107BATHROOMADDITION108

DINNINGROOM

N

PLANT

GEOMETRICAL

PREVAILING WIND

GAY HOUSEFLOOR PLAN

COVEREDPORCH

59'-0"

10'-4

"

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18'-1

1"

RAMP

101LIVINGROOM

102BEDROOM

103SHED 104

BEDROOM105

BEDROOM

106KITCHEN

108DINNING

ROOM

N

PLANT

GEOMETRICAL

PREVAILING WIND

GAY HOUSE1934 HISTORIC SITE MAP

COVEREDPORCH

WELL

HISTORICSHED

MULES COW

SMOKEHOUSE

CHICKENCOOP

WALNUTTREE

WALNUTTREE

WORKSHOP

PIGS