Figure B-10: First Congregational Church Courtesy of Auburn Avenue Research Library
Education played an important role in Black life stemming back from the promise of Emancipation. During the early years of Buttermilk Bottom, the Lilian Davis School, a one-room schoolhouse, served as the place where neighborhood residents went to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic. 102 William Huff recalls learning under the tutelage of Lilian Davis from a very young age until the age of 20. 103 After completing his studies, Huff went to Morehouse College and later enlisted in the US Army. 104 Black people from across the United States came to the area to attend Spelman College, Morehouse College, Clarke College, Atlanta University, Interdenominational Theological Center, and Morris Brown College, seeking to achieve the American Dream and improve their status in life. Wilson also fondly remembers her educational pursuits in the neighborhood. She attended and two historic institutions in the Fourth Ward: Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Joseph’s Basilica. Buttermilk Bottom and Butler Street neighborhoods were teeming with children. The schools in the area accommodated more students than they were designed to serve. 105 For example, Forrest Elementary had twice the number of students it was designed to accommodate, with 886 students attending despite its capacity being set at 462. 106 Similarly, Forrest Elementary, Hill, and North Avenue Elementary schools lacked sufficient land for play areas or green spaces. Additionally, the closest
102 Huff, “Descendants”. 103 Huff, “Descendants”. 104 Huff, “Descendants”. 105 Joan Sanders, “Urban Anthropology”, May 1979. 106 The Atlanta Urban League Collection, Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library and Archives Research Center.
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