A once-neglected hill behind Bennett College on East Lee Street, is the newly-constructed Watkins House. Part of Bennett College's 2009 Capital Improvements Project, the Nellouise Watkins Faculty House is named for its benefactor and made possible by her $300,000 financial contribution. Wakins taught in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department for over thirty years. See a photo of her with President Julianne Malveaux here.
Bennett college is a four-year liberal arts college for women with approximately 600 undergraduates. It was founded in 1873 as a school to educate newly emancipated slaves and, in 1926, it became a women's college. It has been encouraging to see the college garner the attention of famous Americans like Oprah Winfrey and Maya Angelou in recent years and to see the campus get a much-needed facelift. We offer this shot for ABC Wednesday with "W" for Watkins in honor of not only the building but also the still-living, vibrant philanthropist who make this building possible. Greensboro has a long tradition of educating women. UNCG was a college for women until it became co-ed in 1968. So, while for ABC Wednesday, our contribution is "W" for Watkins, it could also be "W" for women!
"Well-done!" to you and all those good women.
The light and colors and your shadow all add to the nice building.
That's something I never thought of, how America began to educate her former slaves.
Posted by: Dina | Wednesday, December 22, 2010 at 05:57 AM
Thanks, Dina. Greensboro has a rich post-Civil War & Civil Rights history. We also have Warnersville neighborhood that was purchased by a Quaker missionary, Yardley Warner, for recently emancipated Civil-War slaves. African-americans were given tracts of land to build houses and to begin the path to independent living. The self-sufficient community, located in South Greensboro (in the Elm Street, Ashe Street, South Street area) became a model for similar settlements. Next round, we should offer "W" for Warnersville. If you don't want to wait for another alphabet round, read more through the link below, where we went to get/verify information about Warnersville:
http://preservationgreensboro.typepad.com/weblog/2008/04/future-perfect.html
Posted by: Greensboro Daily Photo | Wednesday, December 22, 2010 at 08:50 AM
Ah, such a small school. Sounds intriguing.
Nice shot.
ROG, ABC Wednesday team
Posted by: Roger Green | Wednesday, December 22, 2010 at 09:53 AM
This is new? What a prime example of post modernism!
Posted by: VioletSky | Wednesday, December 22, 2010 at 11:35 AM
"W" is also for wonderful capture. The light is great!
Posted by: Irina | Wednesday, December 22, 2010 at 04:23 PM
'W for Watkins & Women' is great. You have put a focus on the importance of the education of women!
Purrs,
Sara Cat
Sara Cat's ABC-Wd-rd7-W
Posted by: Sarakatt.blogspot.com | Monday, December 27, 2010 at 05:39 PM