As work on refurbishing the old Hineshaw School on Gause Street continues, there could be more to come at the site.
Demolition of the roof has begun and will continue, along with asbestos abatement, into next week. Work on the interior framing will begin May 20, City Manager Ryan Arnold said.
Roof trusses are expected to arrive by the end of the month, and they will be installed in June.
The building had four chimneys, but two had to be taken out because they were attached to the roof. The roof will be reinforced where those chimneys stood.
Originally a school for Black children in Hinesville, Hineshaw opened as a school in the 1930s and was known as a Rosenwald school, after businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald contributed millions of dollars to build schools for Black children in the rural South.
Teaming with Booker T. Washington, he built schools across the South for Black children from 1912–32. But of the more than 5,000 built, only about 500 are left, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.
While the city has not determined a future use for the site, it has been suggested to put a memorial for those Liberty County Blacks who were lynching victims there. Clara Rowsey-Stewart has asked the city to consider putting a memorial honoring lynching victims at the Hineshaw school property.
“This site carries deep historical significance,” she said. “This memorial is crucial because it acknowledges the lives lost to racial violence, ensuring these victims are never forgotten. By establishing this memorial, we ensure that future generations will learn from our past, fostering a community that is stronger, more just and connected to the resilience of its people.”
Rowsey-Stewart said a memorial marker costs about $4,500, and Racial Justice Georgia can provide half the funding. A similar memorial was erected a year and a half ago in Brunswick.
The Equal Justice Initiative has documented 599 lynchings in Georgia from 1877-1950 and has documented four such incidents in Liberty County during that time. The EJI also operates the National Memorial for Peace and Justice near Montgomery, Alabama and also has the Legacy Museum there.
Mayor Karl Riles said the city council could put the issue on a workshop agenda to explore potential partnerships in erecting such a memorial.
