Lamson-Richardson School
Also known as: West Central Georgia CAC
Why it's listed
Built in 1915, the Lamson-Richardson School is a one-story, T-shaped brick building beside the railroad tracks in Marshallville's Black neighborhood. It replaced a two-story frame school opened in 1887 by Anna Wade Richardson, born in Marshallville to enslaved parents, with support from Boston YWCA counselor Kate A. Lamson and the American Missionary Association. Funds from Tremont Temple Baptist Church in Boston paid for the present building. The first senior high class graduated in 1937, and the school became county-supported in 1957. The building has load-bearing brick walls, a gabled roof with exposed rafter ends, and Craftsman-style half-timbering and stucco in the end gables. Classrooms face south along a single-loaded corridor, with a gymnasium at the north end. Its listing recognizes its role as a rare privately endowed school for Black students, drawing pupils from as far as Albany, and as the most intact historic building in the town's Black community. Alterations and water damage have left it in fair to poor condition, though its form and plan remain intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant in education as one of very few privately endowed schools for Black students in the region, and as a focal point of Marshallville's Black community. It is also significant in architecture as the largest, most imposing and most intact historic building in the Black section of town, and as a modest example of progressive early twentieth century school design.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 81000697, listed May 18, 1981. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Railroad St., Marshallville |
|---|---|
| County | Macon County |
| Listed | May 18, 1981 |
| Reference number | 81000697 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Early twentieth century school design with Craftsman-style half-timbering and stucco in the end gables |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Fair to poor condition; used as a day care center, preschool and senior citizens center. The gymnasium roof needs repair and its floor and ceiling are water-damaged. |
| Acreage | 5.5 |
| Coordinates | 32.44722, -83.94426 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 81000697.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.