Exhibit offers perspective on black business

Published 10:00 am Tuesday, March 14, 2017

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — A new Sallie Ellis Davis House exhibit showcases part of what it was like to be an African American in segregated Milledgeville.

An area of downtown formerly known as “The Strip” located on McIntosh and parts of Wayne Streets was the center of black business from the beginning of the 20th century until the mid-1970s and is the focus of the ongoing exhibit.

Molly Randolph is the curator the Georgia’s Old Governor’s Mansion and the Sallie Ellis Davis House and says she put the display together so everyone could see Milledgeville through Davis’ eyes.

“It’s something that I’d always been interested in doing,” Randolph said. “We’re trying to do exhibits at the Davis House that kind of look at the history around the time Mrs. Davis lived (1877-1950). I kind of wanted to get inside her shoes a little bit. I thought this was probably a huge aspect of her life where she could go and buy groceries and where she could go and meet her friends in town. I thought it was also something that hasn’t been explored a lot, so we just wanted to highlight it.

“By the time that integration happens more a lot of African American business districts throughout the country kind of faded away. In the 1960s and ’70s a lot of solely African American business districts started to change a lot. We focused on that first half of the 20th century.”

The centerpiece of the exhibit is undoubtedly the artwork of Mr. George Freeman who grew up in Milledgeville during The Strip’s heyday. The yellow paper along the left hand wall just as you enter the Davis House is the first thing that catches your eye and his drawings lay out every building in the area.

“I think this also helped inspire me to do this exhibit as well because we have this amazing piece of artwork that really kind of speaks to local history and what better way to showcase it than to build an exhibit around it,” said Randolph. “Also we have Mr. Freeman’s own words and his reminiscences.”

Georgia College student Nora Webb, a sophomore from Savannah, serves as one of the guides on the tour and agreed that Freeman’s artwork is a big draw for her as well.

“My favorite part of the exhibit would be George Freeman’s artwork of the business district because I love that it is his own personal interpretation and that we are able to see the strip through his perspective,” Webb said. “His work displays a wonderful image of the black historic business district and it definitely captures people’s attention with the vibrant colors and intricate details.”

Other displays include an old cash register used at Allen’s Market and period phone books from The Strip’s heyday where you can see that black business were given a “COL” designation. Allied Arts, Georgia’s Old Capital Museum, and the Milledgeville Convention and Visitors’ Bureau are some of the places that have loaned pieces to the exhibit.

The exhibit opened in early February, and Randolph said attendance thus far has been exceptional.

“It’s been a little bit more than we normally get,” the curator said. “I think it helped that it was Black History Month and we had the trolley tours coming through. We’ve had people who have seen promotions for the exhibit and wanted to come. We’ve had some classes go through as well, so that’s been really great.”

Tours of the exhibit are available Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fridays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., and the second Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for senior citizens, pre-booked groups, and non-Georgia College students. Tours may be booked by calling 478-445-4545 and may be scheduled outside of regular operating hours.

“We want to make the house accessible to people even when we’re not officially open,” Randolph said.

The exhibit runs through May 17.