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THE BETTER WE KNOW US ...
KENSTOIN—His announcement from
the pulpit on Sunday, August 1, that
he would retire from the pastorate of
First Missionary Baptist Church, East
Street. Kinston, effective October 17,
1976, noted the termination of a 48-
year professional tenure on the part of
Dr. R. Irving Boone.
A two-year principalship of the
Lincoln Heights High School of
Wilkesboro, was followed by a ten-
year period as supervising principal
of the 96-teacher, Rockingham-
Richmond County Negro Schools.
During five of these same years, he
served as pastor of the Providence
Baptist Church of Rockingham and
the Friendship Baptist Church of
Hamlet.
In 1941, he began a 23-year pasto
rate of the Central Baptist Church of
Wilmington. During his ministry in
Wilmington, he founded, and for 15
years, served as President of the
Eastern Carolina School for Minis
ters.
In 1964, he accepted an appoint
ment to the faculty of Elizabeth City
State University, in the capacity of
Assistant Professor of Sociology and
Campus Minister. He served the
university for a period of ten years,
retiring from his post there in 1974.
During his tenure on the faculty at
ECSU, he served, simultaneously, as
pastor of the Pleasant Plains Baptist
Church of Ahoskie.
In the meantime-seven years ago-
he accepted the pastorate of First
Missionary Baptist Church, East St.
Kinston. During his first three years
at the local pastorate, he commuted,
periodically, to serve the Kinston
pulpit, while also utilizing the ser
vices of assistants, to serve in his
absence.
In 1974, upon his retirement at
Elizabeth City State University, he
and Mrs. Boone took up residence in
Kinston, moving in their newly-built
home, at 605 Eagle Road.
With the beginning of his local
pastorate-seven years ago-there was
immediately launched a broad "Go
Forward" program, involving a var
iety of remodeling, renovation, and
beautification projects, with improve
ments on the church plant in excess
of $75,000.00; and all of these im
provements on a "Pay-as-you-go"
basis, which means that, presently,
there are no encumbrances on the
church.
In the meantime, concurrently,
there has gone forward an extensive
organizational expansion program,
with numerous additional activities
and large budgetary increases for the
various denominational objectives.
During the same period, approxi
mately 100 new members have been
added to the church membership, and
five functional auxiliaries and depart
ments added to the organizational
structure.
With his major concentration in the
areas of religion and education. Dr.
Boone has found time to identify him
self with a variety of other activities,
on the local, state and national levels.
For the past fifteen years, he has
served as Editor of The Masonic
Journal, Official Organ of the Grand
Lodge of Prince Hall free and accept
ed Masons in North Carolina, and as
Grand Director of Public Relations-for
a token honorarium. These offices he
still holds. For the past six years-up
until his recent retirement from such
office - he has served the National
Role of Grand Chaplain of the Im
proved benevolent protective order of
Elks of the world. Upon action of the
Grand Exhalted Ruler of IBPOEW, of
Philadelphia, he is presently - named
for life - Grand Chaplain, Emeritus, of
the Elks.
He served for ten years as statisti
cian of the General Baptist State Con
vention of North Carolina, Inc., and
for four years as Chairman of the
Executive Committee of the Conven
tion's Executive Board; while he
served, repeatedly, as Chairman of
the Denomination's Committee on
Resolutions. He is still a member of
the Executive Board.
His scholarly manuscripts include,
means and ends in Religious Educa
tion: Some Distinctive Problems of
the City Church; A Functional Study
of the Ministerial Profession; Vital
Dimensions of Effective Power;
Negro Progress. 8 Volumes.
A native of Mufreesboro (Hertford
County) N.C., his educational back
ground includes Shaw University,
Raleigh; Lincoln University, Oxford,
PA; N.C. Central University, Durham
Union Theological Seminary and
Columbia University, New York City;
The University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill; while his travels abroad
include tours of parts of three conti
nents - Europe, Africa, and Asia,
Embracing all of The Holy Land.
In addition to an abbreviated sche
dule with religious and fraternal acti
vities, Dr. Boone, following his retire
ment, will be utilizing his time in rest
and relaxation with his wife at their
Kinston residence, and engaged in
the writing of three additional books,
already begun. There are also plans
for some further (deferred) travels.
To know Dr. Boone, also means,
THE BETTER WE KNOW US.
¥ " -.-.I
‘ 4'- -I: I
TRIBUNAL AID
A VIABLE, VALID REQUIREMENT
RESPONDING TO
BLACK NORTH CAROLINA
\OLLMErV, N0.12
W i ,i>INESiyAY, AUGUST 25,1976
$6.00 PER \ EAR
2.'S CENTS
ME!V[BER: North Carolina Black Publishers Association
North ( arolina Tress Association. Inc.
The 1976 Editions of THE TRIBUNAL AO) will
be dedicated to America's bicentennial Cele
bration. with emphasis on contributions our Race
has made in the making of America, from
birth to the present.
In 1976 there stiould not be a need to lift these
contributions from isolated sources. Our past
should ne interwoven into the fabric of our ci-
\ili/ation. because >\e are. except for the Indian.
America’s oldest ethnic minority.
We ha\' helped make America what it was.
and what it i>. since the i'oumling of Virginia.
W e haxe been a factor in many major issues in
our history. There have lM*en many misdeeds
Faye Ashe. Black History Editor
against us. \et wo ha\- l»ej*n able to live through
them anl fight hack. This is living proof of our
liistorv.
lJur ro\v in th' making of America is neither
\\»'!l known »)r (“orreclh knowit. Many positive*
contrihulintis liave (“scaped historians and have
not fotinl their vvuN inl(» the pages of tnany
lilslorv books.
We will striv‘ to giv* reaficTs. Black and
whit‘. man\ liltle-knoun la'ts alxMit our past
and it is hop‘d that a prop*r perspective of our
hislorv will ln' of valu* to persons who m}»y
lx lie\‘ that as Black people we hav* no uil-
w(>rth\ pasl: and hence, no strong claims to
all rights ot other Americans.
FLORENCE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY
"What is now the Florence Primary
School has gone through many
changes since its beginning as an all
Black School in the Florence Commu
nity. Mrs. Joanne Delaune, School
Historian was unable to establish the
exact date of the first school. She has
through her research been able to
compile the history of the Florence
School and its community. Mrs.
Delaune spent many hours going
through school records, books and
interviews with local citizens. On
May 20th her research ended with the
presentation of the book to the P.T.A.
which is now in the school library. All
facts cannot be presented here, but
you are invited to visit the Library and
read the History of the Florence
School and community.
A history of the Florence Commu
nity would be imcomplete without an
account of the Beard Family and the
famous Beard's Hat Shop which was
located 3/4 miles south of the Village.
Richard Beard came from Nan-
'•ket in 1772 and settled in the
Floremc Community, building his
house about 300 yards south of the
Friends Meeting House. His son,
WilHam, inherited his father's place
an lived there until his death in
1795. Wilham was a man of many
skills, among them being that of
maki s men's hats. At his death he
willed his hatter's tools to his son,
David, who bought land from Phineas
Mendenhall and built a shop, home,
and schi ol about 3/4 of a mile south
f Florence where he made hats from
about 1797 to 1849. Locally, this
lesid nee was known as a station in
the underground railroad. He was a
key f'gure in smuggling slaves and
the ree Negro out of the South until
1860. Beard's Hat Shop was a thriv
ing industry through all these years
and i^eard's hats were known all over
this part of the Country. People who
were going west, as so many did from
this section in the 25 year preceding
.the Civil War, would take along a new
hat. And they must have been proud
of these hats, for even to this day
descendants of some of these travel
ers coii.u back to visit the haunts of
I heir ancestors, and one of the most
frequent questions concerns Beard's
Hat Shop. Time has erased these
si LS as they no longer exist.
Another of the Florence landmarks
was Barnums Chapel. Lavania Beard
married Ihomas Barnum, a metho-
dist Minister, and settled across the
road north of the old Beard home.
They built a church in Florence known
as Barnums Chapel. This church was
used for years as a place of worship
for all denominations. It was built on
the present site of the Turner's
Chapel grave yard. The orginial
buildmg was constructed of bricks
ma 'e b) David Beard. In Colinial
times bricks were always made on
tho site of construction. Sometime
before the Civil War the Barnums'
moved ,o Indiana.
The property was purchased by J.
Harper Johnston and later purchased
by the Black congregation of A.M.E.
Churi'h.
As mentioned in the article, "The
Village of Florence" by H. Clay
Briggs the Kody Lancaster house was
purchased by a black man, Pressley
Wyatt Raper. "Pres Raper" was a
well known and respected leader in
the community, and it is thought
today that he played a part in settling
the turbulence of the re-construction
period. The ruins of his hotise stands
on t' e property adjoining the present
Florence Primary School playground
and the Guilford County School Board
is p esently acquiring this parcel of
1 ad.
The first school building erected in
the Florence community for blacks is
remembered and said to have existed
o the back part of the Pettiford
property.
Mrs. Savannah Williamson remem
bers her grandmother's memories of
a tuidmg a log cabin school. The
chiLren who attended this first
Florence school are no longer living;
there.uro, we were unable to secure
any ore information.
The children of Florence then went
to the Jamestwon office building
opposite the old Mendenhall store,
corner of High Point City Lake pro
perty. Judith Mendenhall taught the
black ' hildien the usual subjects plus
hou^ hold duties, religion, and good
behavior. This school was part of the
p abody funds.
Cont nuing to follow education for
the Black man in Florence will be
strirtly from approved minutes of
Guillord County School Board
meetings.
Chronological Order:
January 3, 1887 - Jamestown District
# ( olored)
Board members were:
Dr. Nereus i\lendenhall, Chairman
Dr. Me uii
Prolessur M. H. Holt
"By ord r of the board. Dr. Menden-
h r was ordered to stop said District
because of want of patronge and
general dissatisfaction on part of
patrons "
D Lember5, 1887-Jamestown District
ffl (uolored)
Secretar) ordered to visit James-
t' wii ind report as to advisability of
moving school site on dividing
disiricts."
Nelson, Preston Raper, Alexander
Pettiford be appointed school comit-
tee for District #1 (colored).
1890 - This second Florence School
was built somewhere on the Dell (sis)
Cain property. The present site of the
Wil Fuller Service Station. The
school ' ad its beginning with approxi
mately 30 students in an unpainted,
one roou] structure featuring hand-
ade benches cut from rough lumber
a recreation platform across the front
■ 1 the room, a rectangular space on
the wall painted black to serve as a
blackboard and a large cast-iron stove
in the ce..ter of the room. For 19
ars this school, always taught by a
man, served the growing community.
Decembers, 1892
Ordered by the board that the school
#1 Ja stown (colored) be rpoved
back to Florence.
1894 - School can be traced to old
Induigc'd Meeting House (better
remeniben d by the blacks as Primi
tive Baptist Church). This parcel of
land xisted inside of High Point City
Lake property and is one of the Deep
River Friends Churches. - . ,
FoflNilers Day Program
Held At Florence Schoo
Mrs. JoAnn Delaune (right) shows a note-
.. oi. .she compiled aliuut the history of Flo
rence School to four women who took part in a
Founders Day program at the school. They are
(l-r) iVIrs. Florence AJlen, Mrs. Alice Jackson,
Mrs. An I. ice Smith, and Miss Savannah
Williamson. Florence School, on Penny Road
near Wendover Road, goes hack to the early
18(M)'s. The Founders Day program was spon
sored by the Florence School P.T.A.
S ptem. er 29,
Petition of Jamestown citizens asking
for new district (white). Petition was
ranted.
January 2, 1889 - Jamestown District
#1
#1 (colored)
The board ordered that Charles
m
CLASS OF 1894
1776 Honoring America s Bicentennial 1976