Flat Rock Archives facts for kids
The Flat Rock Archive is a museum in Stonecrest, Georgia, that protects the history of African American families who lived in the countryside. Its main job is to make sure the stories and records of this community are not forgotten.
The museum is inside a historic house built in 1917 by a man named T.A. Bryant, Sr. In 2005, his children, Reverend T.A. Bryant, Jr. and Zudia Guthrie, gave the house to the community. They wanted it to be a safe place to store all the important papers and photos of the Flat Rock area.
Today, the Archive is a museum where people can learn about the past and research their family history. It is also part of the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, a special place recognized for its natural and historical importance. To learn more about the community's story, you can read about Flat Rock, Georgia.
Contents
The Story of the Archive
The idea for the Archive began in 1981. People were inspired by the stories they heard from the elders of the Flat Rock community. They wanted to create a place to save the history of African Americans in the area.
In December 2006, the Flat Rock Archives officially opened. The current president of the archive is Cheryl Moore-Mathis. That same year, the Archive was featured on a TV show called African American Lives. The episode, called "Listening to our Past," included the famous actor Chris Tucker.
Why Preserving Memories Is Important
A key goal of the Flat Rock Archives is to save the memories of the community. The leaders of the archive want the sounds, stories, and experiences of the past to be remembered by future generations.
For example, an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper shared a story from a man named Cleveland McMullen. He grew up in Flat Rock but moved north during the Great Depression to find work and escape unfair segregation laws. He remembered that Flat Rock had its own baseball team that played against teams from nearby towns. He said the games were a big event. "People came from all over," he recalled. "They'd have a barbecue, make a whole day of it."
What You Can See at the Archive
The Archive is more than just one building; it's a whole historical area. It helps visitors understand what life was like in the past.
The T.A. Bryant, Sr. House
The main building is the T.A. Bryant, Sr. House, a cozy cottage built in 1917. It was donated by T.A. Bryant, Sr.'s children. On the property, you can also see a historic barn, a smokehouse (used for preserving meat), and an outhouse. These buildings show how people lived in the early 20th century.
The Flat Rock Cemetery
The historical landscape also includes the Flat Rock African American Historic Cemetery. In 2008, Dr. Jeffrey Glover from Georgia State University led a project to map the cemetery. His team found about 202 graves. Many of the graves were marked only with plain fieldstones, and 107 of them could not be identified.
Helping the Community
The Flat Rock Archive works hard to connect with people today. It collects and saves many types of historical items, like:
- Family history records
- Old newspaper articles and photographs
- Maps
- Church and school records
- Rare books and objects from the rural South
In 2010, the Archive did something special with Arabia Mountain High School. They held a graduation ceremony for eight elderly African Americans from the Flat Rock community. These elders, who were in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, had attended the Flat Rock School in the 1930s and 1940s. At that time, the county school system did not give high school diplomas to Black students. The DeKalb County school system gave them honorary diplomas to recognize their achievements.
The Archive also continues to take care of the Historic African American Flat Rock Cemetery, making sure it is respected and preserved.
