Jazz for Jackson

Concert to aid restoration work for historic home Oct. 10

By Deanna Brown

Jazz enthusiasts, history buffs and everyone in between are invited to participate in a two-fold event Oct. 10 at the Palace Theatre.

The jazz concert will feature James “Red” Holloway and the James Gilyard Ensemble and will begin at 7 p.m. The ensemble boasts Cadino “Dino” Newman, son of the late David “Fathead” Newman of Corsicana.

Holloway, age 82, has performed with the likes of Billie Holiday, Sonny Rollins, Lester Young, Dexter Gordon, Lionel Hampton, and is best known for his long-running partnership with Sonny Stitt.

Tickets are on sale now, ranging in price from $15 to $40, and may be obtained by calling the Palace box office at (903) 874-7792.

The goal of the fund-raiser is to raise money, but also awareness of the project currently in progress at the G.W. Jackson home on Martin Luther King Boulevard. in Corsicana. The dream of the late Lois Jean Hart to honor the Corsicana educator Jackson, the mantle has been picked up by her sister, Gwen Chance, and a capable committee of volunteers. The board of the G.W. Jackson Multicultural Society Inc. includes Chance, Brad Cook, George Burrell, Evelyn Granville, Malinda Payne Sharpley, Ruby Williams, Elmeree Burrell, the late Bobby Sparks, Bobbie Young, Leah Blackard, Lowell Olsen Dunn, Paul E. West, Wanda Luedecke, Stephen R. Farris and Rowena Winfrey.

“We are trying to restore the G.W. Jackson home on MLK, which is the only structure remaining that was connected to him,” Brad Cook said. “We have confirmation that he lived there in 1902, and the house was built just prior to 1900. He lived there until his death in 1940, and his widow until the mid-1950s.”

Cook said that when Corsicana Independent School District was formed in 1881, it constructed three two-story brick school buildings — one primary school for white children, one high school for white children, and one school for “coloreds.”

“This gives Corsicana the distinction of being one of the first communities to build a brick school for children in the African-American community, which was called Frederick Douglass School,” Cook said.

G.W. Jackson served as principal of this school from 1882 until 1927. Under Jackson’s direction, the school added many new programs, and the quality of education was so excellent, some students from Dallas rode the Interurban to Corsicana to attend the school.

“When they built a new high school in the 1920s, a group of wealthy white ladies suggested it be named for G.W. Jackson,” he said. “Jackson was very highly educated, had written several books, and was very respected by both the black and white communities.”

Cook said he was first approached over a year ago about saving the home, because it was on the City P&Z; demolition list. The late Lois Jean Hart had purchased the home in the early 1990s, in hopes of restoring it and having it serve as a multicultural center and archive for the African-American community and all of Navarro County. Hart, herself a recognized community leader and educator, was once a student of Jackson’s, and hoped to honor his contribution to Corsicana in this way.

“We got Ruby Williams involved, and also Malinda Payne Sharpley with the Main Street Project,” Cook said. “They got an engineer involved, and thanks to a grant, which paid for a study by the engineer, discovered the home is still structurally sound. It was declared an historic landmark. The house was originally a T-shaped home, but had a couple of additions since Jackson lived there. The goal is to get it back close to what it was when he did live there, but we have been unable to find any photos from that time period.”

Any photos from 1902 to 1940 of the home would be very appreciated for the guidance they could provide in the restoration of this home. Also appreciated would be any artifacts from that time period having to do with G.W. Jackson, his home, school, or neighborhood.

“Remember that while polar bear that used to sit in front of a house just past Bill’s Fried Chicken on Second Avenue, and before you got to the Catholic school?” Cook asked. “That bear was the Jackson School mascot, and once sat in front of the school.

“The goal is to restore the home and eventually turn it into a museum and multicultural center to be utilized by the entire community. That was Lois Jean Hart’s dream — to honor G.W. Jackson who worked with people of all races during his time period.”

Cook said very few communities the size of Corsicana take on a project like this one, but said it’s necessary, since so much of the history has been lost, and what remains needs to be preserved.

“We need to do our due diligence on all of our cultural history,” he said.

—————

Click here to e-mail Deanna Brown.

Click here to Soundoff on this story.

Text Only