DANIEL TYLER GOODEN / L’Observateur / April 7, 2000

ROMEVILLE – After sitting vacant by Romeville Elementary, the Central Agricultural School is back on it’s feet, almost literally. The River RoadAfrican American Museum and Gallery in Donaldsonville, has moved the school across the river to serve as a living memory of black culture and education.

The school has been a part of Romeville since around the 1930’s, said Kathe Hambrick, founder and director of the museum. The school may be aRosenwald school. It’s built in the same architectural style, said Hambrick.The Rosenwald schools were built for black communities through the support of the Sears-Robuck family in the 1930’s.

There are very few Rosenwald schools left standing, so the possibility of adding the school to the national historic register would be high. Hambrickhopes this is the case, for historical restoration and status is what she wants to bring the old building back to.

This all started when Hambrick saw the house and approached the St. JamesSchool Board about its donation three years ago. The school board agreedand since then, Hambrick has been working on finding the funds to place it with the museums other historical buildings in Donaldsonville.

State legislation allowed for a grant to be allocated for small museums in Louisiana. The River Road museum was one of seven museums picked toreceive a portion of the grant, some $350,000.

When the money for moving the school was acquired, that did not end the wait.

The first mover began the project but fell ill. Unfortunately, he neverrecovered and passed away before the project could be completed. A secondmover took over the contract, but had to pull off before the house was moved. That’s when Max Bishop, of Carmel House Movers, stepped in.”Max said, ‘I’ll help to make sure this gets done.’ Thanks to Mr. Bishop wewere able to get the school moved,” said Hambrick. Bishop has been haulinghomes from Baton Rouge, Hammond, Gonzales and Covington since 1968.

Bishop stepped into the project in February. Helping out the museum and themoving crew that had worked on the school before, Bishop lent his expertise and organizational skills to get the school on it’s way. But that still didn’t endthe wait.

“The school was probably the most difficult building I’ve had to move,” said Bishop. After the school was cut in half, the roof removed and the rafterscut down, to fit under the standard 19 foot overhead lines, the school had to cross the river by way of the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge. “It’s a 10 mile trekfrom Romeville to Donaldsonville, and it had to go miles out of its way,” said Hambrick.

The school wouldn’t fit under the Sunshine Bridge, the closest route, due to the low structural supports on the bridge. Bishop headed for Veteran’sMemorial.

When the first half of the house was pulled into the Romeville drive, it was evident that the crew had to stop. The Cypress beams under the house,though resistent to rotting, were sagging so much the movers were afraid they would break. The crew strengthened the Cypress with iron beams. Thatdid the trick.

On the next day, the half was pulled out onto River Road, a state trooper along to make sure everyone got out of the way of the building driving down the road. It made it less than a quarter mile before the weight of thebuilding, due to cement and such in the walls, blew four tires on the trailer, said Bishop.

The crew had to wait again.

Finally by the end of March, after a few days of heavy rain, the school was making it’s way down one side of the parish and up the other. It slid underthe Veteran’s Memorial Bridge just by inches, said Bishop. “It was quite avisual image to see that school over the river,” added Bishop.

A week after the first half went, the second followed along. Each trip tookabout six hours. Men ran along in front, moving mailboxes and signs, so thatthe school could squeeze in down the road. On top of the roof, anothergentleman walked low hanging lines across the roof, keeping them from getting hung up.

Currently, the house is being stitched back down the middle, and the rafters are going back up. Hambrick is replacing the roof with new tin, and therestoration has begun.

“Saving and restoring the Central Agricultural School was the ultimate purpose of moving the school,” said Hambrick. The museum plans to build apermanent exhibit about the schools original location and the people who used it, as well as an exhibit on the history of education in rural Louisiana, she added.

“Some museums have artifacts, we also have buildings. This is consideredpart of our collections,” said Hambrick.

Hambrick is adding the school to the museums collection to further the goal of educating people about black history in Louisiana.

Before she began the museum in 1994, “I felt there was no place to go to answer questions about slavery and black life in our area. I felt that thereneeded to be a place where not just tourists but children could come and get their questions answered.”Hambrick has provided just that. As well as providing informational tours,Hambrick has been contacted by museums and people from all around the world including: a variety of U.S. museums, the Smithsonian and museumsfrom the Netherlands and West and South Africa.

The cost of restoring the Central Agricultural School is set at $150,000.

With a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, architect Robert Obier has drawn up the plans for the restoration.

Hambrick and the museum is very proud of its work done and the addition of the Central Agricultural School. “There is very much a need (for themuseum). It is something that will take us into the 21st century, leaving alegacy. The museum is looking to bring cultural quality and events to theRiver Parishes community” and the school is part of that, said Hambrick.

The River Road African American Museum and Gallery, is constantly looking for black history to preserve, in all forms. The museum is constantly lookingfor artifacts, pictures and even old stories of the black culture in the River Parishes. Hambrick asks any to call if they have information or artifactpertaining to black history, the museum is always eager to learn more. TheRiver Road African American History Museum can be reached at (225) 562- 7703.

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