West Gaines School Community Center (WGSCC) held its fourth annual Save the School event

on Saturday, February 24 at Lawrenceburg's Society Restaurant. The guest speaker was John Nelson.

The group is raising funds to restore the former all-black school on West Gaines Street, which closed when schools were desegregated in 1964. It later served as offices for the Department of Human Services, then Lawrence County Schools Central office, but has been empty for years.

Those attending Saturday's event include Rebecca Moore, a Lawrenceburg native and design instructor at Belmont University. Six of her students are producing a full set of drawings that can be used to aid the restoration project. Their visit was the subject of a recent NewsChannel 5 Nashville segment. https://www.newschannel5.com/news/its-definitely-worth-preserving-effort-to-revitalize-former-all-black-school-in-lawrenceburg-continues?fbclid=IwAR1ALdjr7L4vu0wESjIr7uzvsbCYIyeE6PwC3XaysV5MuJ13EE58IeUCA2Y

WGSCC also has the support of the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.

Pictured at the Save the School event are Belmont instructor Rebecca Brewer Moore; WGSCC president James Wallace; WGSCC member Brenda Reed; WGSCC fundraising chair Charlotte Wilson; guest speaker John Nelson; WGSCC member Debra Wilkerson. Belmont University students are pictured at back.