Lawson presents $4.6 million check from federal government for disaster shelter in Quincy

The Old Stevens School in Quincy will soon have a new purpose.

On Thursday, April 14, United States Representative Al Lawson visited Quincy to present a $4.6 million check for an emergency disaster shelter at the former Williams Stevens High School.

The funds will be used to renovate the old Stevens High School structure, to construct a handicap-accessible, pet-friendly disaster shelter that can house up to 150-200 individuals.

“It is critical that Gadsden County residents have a safe space to head to in case of an emergency,” Representative Lawson said. “The funding will allow for people to have a safe haven during a time of crisis.”

The historic school was built in 1929 for black students, explained Gadsden County Commissioner Brenda Holt during the check presentation ceremony.

The school closed in 1955 due to a fire.

It has since served as a food pantry, and an African Artifact and Cultural Museum, among other

things, before the campus was mostly destroyed in another fire in 2017.

One building on the campus remains - the cafeteria.

An architectural rendering of what a disaster shelter in Quincy may one day look like, designed by Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University School of Architecture and Engineering students, is displayed during a check presentation ceremony at the old Stevens School on Thursday, April 14.

That’s where local leaders and citizens met with Lawson for the check presentation last week.

The building was recently renovated.

Architectural renderings created by students at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University were displayed around the room, depicting how the finished site is expected to look.

The county wants to incorporate murals and gardens, beautifying the property and surrounding neighborhood.

Holt said even before her fellow commissioners were on board about the project, she believed in it so much she paid $600 of her own money for the architectural drawings.

When the new facility is complete, it will become the county’s first emergency disaster shelter.

During Hurricane Michael, the county used Gadsden County High School as a temporary shelter.

“We were trying to get the school back open, but there was nowhere for people to go,” Holt said.

Holt said trees and powerlines were down after the storm, which was a safety hazard for local citizens.

Holt said she had only hoped for $1 million from the federal government, and she was astonished when Lawson called her and told her the county would receive $4,669,771 to revitalize the historical site.

Holt thanked Friends of Stevens School, a community organization whose mission is to preserve the history and legacy of Stevens School.

“They never gave up,” Holt said.

United States Representative Al Lawson, local leaders, and community members smile for a photo as Lawson holds a $4.6 million ceremonious check he presented to the county for a disaster shelter.

Many of the members are people who live in the surrounding neighborhood or once attended the school.

Quincy Commissioner Angela Sapp also expressed her enthusiasm about the future of the old school.

Sapp, who said she is Holt’s friend and former classmate, said she attended Stevens School from first through sixth grade.

“My family moved to Quincy from Tallahassee because my father was teaching at Stevens

School,” Sapp said. “We moved to a house two blocks from here that I still live in now.”

Sapp’s father, Raymond Grant taught there from 1950 until Carter-Parramore opened in 1956.

Like Holt and Sapp, Lawson also has a special connection to Stevens School; his grandmother, Mattie Andrews Lawson taught there for 42 years.

Lawson says he’s long advocated in Congress for local community projects to receive federal aid.

He said funding for community projects ended under the Obama administration, but he fought to bring them back.

“These investments support underserved areas and foster economic development, making a real difference in the lives of so many in our community,” Lawson said. “I am proud to have fought for funding that will make our community healthier, safer, stronger, and even more resilient.”

The county also plans to use the renovated facility to house a culinary program and a COVID-19 isolation ward if needed.

Although the county has an idea about how they want the property to look the site plans have not been finalized yet.

Erin Hill - erin@gadsdencountytimes.com

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Lawson presents $4.6 million check from federal government for disaster shelter in Quincy

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Midway native son delivers $2 million check for recreation center renovation and expansion

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