Please help me save my great grandfathers house

( scroll down to see what needs to be fixed and what that will cost)

Hello, my name is Nia Henderson AKA Cloud Powers, and I am the Great Granddaughter of Alva Tabor, Sr. My Great Grandfather built this house in 1939 in Fort Valley, Georgia. This historic home is situated just across the street from Fort Valley State University. This was the first house I ever lived in and is very dear to my heart.

So, what makes this house historic? My Great Grandfather, Alva Tabor, Sr. was instrumental in the acquisition of a Historical Black College & University (HBCU) 1890 Land Grant for Fort Valley Normal & Industrial School. A “Normal & Industrial” was basically a higher-level education facility for African Americans in the early 1900s. Not only did he help acquire the land, but he also brought the charter from Washington, DC. These sole accomplishments created funds for establishing an HBCU which later became Fort Valley State College and is now Fort Valley State University (FVSU).

My Great Grandfather along with many other leading persons, have been credited with providing the initial concept for building and developing Camp John Hope in 1933. Camp John Hope was the first permanent camp for Negro boys and girls in Georgia. There are buildings on both Camp John Hope and FVSU campuses named in his honor.

The home was situated on his 100-acre farm where many students worked their way through college. Tabor Heights Subdivision was developed by Alva Tabor, Sr. The streets were named after some of his “Ag friends”: Henry Alexander Hunt, George Washington Carver, Mr. Emory, Mr. Mollett, Mr. Moore, etc. This home is also historically significant because he was a well-known agriculturalist who worked alongside George Washington Carver and Henry Ford on research projects growing tung trees for oil and growing cover crops for soil restoration.

In 1922, My Great Grandfather was appointed Head Itinerant Teacher Trainer for Georgia. He was the first person to hold this position. With this appointment came the responsibility for supervision of Vocational Agriculture programs in the Black schools of Georgia. Teacher training in Agricultural Education for Black teachers was also his responsibility. He was instrumental in establishing the Teacher Training Department at Fort Valley State College. He was also the 1st Negro County Extension Agent in Sandersville, GA and played a key role in the formation of the NFA (New Farmers of America) which later merged with FFA. On January 22, 2000, my Great Grandfather was inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Education Hall of Fame.

His son, Alva Tabor, Jr. (Uncle Al) was one of the first African American quarterbacks to play professional football. Later he became a coach for the Cleveland Browns & New Orleans Saints. All of this to say that I feel it is very important to keep this house alive in the family, and I will do all that I can to restore it and preserve Black history.

The past 20 years it has not been managed and the roof needs a full repair. The rainwater has created damage to the roof, ceilings, wall and the floor as well. I had no idea about the conditions inside the house until now, when it is at the point it must be repaired or sold. I am a huge believer in families maintaining ownership of property and land when the history is of this magnitude. But, if we can come together and recognize the importance of Black history and the importance of generational legacy, we can save this house from becoming another victim to possible gentrification. So, I am reaching out to ask for help in restoring this beautiful and historic “pink house” that my Great Grandfather built.

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For complete transparency purposes I would like to add that the house is currently owned by my mother. The upkeep of the house has become too much, and she can no longer tend to maintenance and upkeep. That is why she is on the fence about selling the property. I have 1 month to raise these funds. The reason there is such a sense of urgency is because the roof is leaking and is causing further damage the longer it goes without being repaired. The estimated cost for the roof and rafters is $23,833 and the reimbursement cost is $3338. So, my goal is to come up with $27,171 in one month. I know this is a huge ask and not much time to meet this goal but, I am determined to at least try. If this goal is not met, then all donations will be refunded. The total goal for this house to fully be rehabilitated is $50,571. This estimated number includes the pricing of the floor, ceiling, and wall repairs as well as a completely new roof and rafters and reimbursement fees. I appreciate all donations and shares of this go fund me project. I have high hopes that we can reach this goal. Thank you all so much for reading this.

Much love,

Nia Henderson (Cloud)