Mays site expansion mirror into civil right pioneer’s soul
Throughout his rich life, Benjamin E. Mays had ample reason to accept the intolerance around him as an overwhelming force too strong to fight.
But that wouldn’t do for a man whose very autobiography is called “Born to Rebel” — gains had to be made by rejecting oppression through educational pursuit, Biblical adherence and mentorship.
Where many others saw odds too stacked against them, Mays pictured victory.
By the time he died in 1984, Mays — adviser to three presidents, chairman of the Atlanta school board, confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and intellectual leader of the Civil Rights movement — would already be a symbol of grace and fortitude.
Now, with plans moving forward to dramatically expand the GLEAMNS Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Historic Preservation Site into a national clearinghouse of academic thought, its architecture should only be a reflection of the man’s own spirit, project organizers say.
Officials last week gave the Index-Journal an inside look at drawings for the $646,592 venture, making public for the first time renderings of the final product — all being paid for through 2016 capital project sales tax funds.
The dollars will be in place by April, with bids going out in late summer. GLEAMNS retained Charleston-based architect Meadors Inc. to create a framework for the project. Groundbreaking could occur as early as October.
Jeremy Tate, a partner at the firm, said Meadors believed in the undertaking so much the company was willing to forgo upfront payments to help with the design, first meeting with Mays site officials in January 2017.
“We knew initially this was going to be a part of this penny sales tax project, and in addition to us appreciating your interest in the project, we were happy that you were willing to wait on getting reimbursed knowing that we had this money coming. We’re excited now we’re back to a place where we think we can re-engage, because a good portion of the money is available,” said Mays site director Christopher Thomas.
All associated costs — from planning to construction — are covered through the project sales tax allocation, officials said.
With a replica schoolhouse and Mays’ childhood home already on the campus, the addition of a visitors’ center built in the image of Mays’ home church in Epworth is highly symbolic, Thomas said — acknowledging the intersection of education, faith and civic engagement that defined Mays’ life.
“Were I so tall as to reach the pole or grasp the ocean at a span, I must be measured by my soul, the mind is the standard of man,” poet William Henley once wrote. Mays found so much meaning in the words he often used it during lectures with students at Morehouse College, where served as president from 1940 through 1967.
From the wood exteriors to the positioning of buildings themselves, every facet of the campus has meaning, articulated in a vision statement provided by Meadors.
“The chapel is oriented east to look to the rising sun with the steeple connecting the chapel with the North Star,” Tate wrote.
The structure was designed after Mays’ childhood church in Epworth, but it’s actually a large visitors’ center – though rife with meaning.
“The chapel starts with a solid base to represent self and strength of belief, the steeple transforms to be more transparent to reflect the vulnerabilities of standing alone and being fragile in that honest moment,” Tate wrote.
Opening into a 150-seat auditorium, the center can be used for panel discussions, film screenings and other large gatherings — or act as a revenue stream for GLEAMNS by being rented out for weddings and other private functions.
Tate said the decision to use native woods such as cypress and cedar — along with rough-hewn stone and other materials was a conscientious effort to give the entire site a contemplative feel.
Though a departure from original plans, Tate said Meadors Inc.
“We felt like we needed to deviate a little bit from that so as not to create something that was artificial,” Tate said.
On the roof, cedar paneling will be used.
“This comes about due to the tree’s endurance through tumultuous periods in its life,” is how Tate described the decision.
In November 2017, civil rights leaders from around the country joined local officials for the dedication of a statue of Mays at the site which bears his name — the only marker of him that exists in the state.
Since then, the site has only become even more historically significant. In January 2018, it was added to the U.S. Civil Rights Trail as one of nine in South Carolina.
Last summer, it was named as the state’s third Literary Landmark by the American Library Association.
Inside the existing museum, space is at a premium. The walls are full of Mays’ honorary degrees (he has 55), photographs with presidents, world leaders and family members.
There’s a 1920s-era steamer trunk Mays traveled with, his Ph.D. robe and attire from the University of Chicago, and an academic chair from his time at Bates College.
As more Mays-related memorabilia and artifacts find their way to Greenwood, curators want to ensure they can be displayed both safely and with respect.
“We can put a few things in the new auditorium, on the walls and things like that,” said Loy Sartin, Thomas’ predecessor and a Mays preservationist.
Thomas said officials will also look for ways to shift existing pieces into the new building.
“It’s going to double our space, and let us tell parts of his story that we haven’t yet been able to because of space limitations now,” he said.
Tate said the challenge for his company was to use architecture as a tribute to Mays without replicating what already exists.
“Rather, we’re going to tell a story through experience as you walk through it,” Tate said. “
Originally Published by Index-Journal on:Mar 26, 2019
By ADAM BENSON abenson@indexjournal.com