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Camious Mirror Published During the College Year by the Students of Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia VOL. XXVII MARCH. 1947 No. (> The Old Dormitories On February 6 the Spelman Com munity was aroused by a fire that caused great excitement, because, in the first place, it was so close to us; and. second, because of the historic value of the build ing. The house, now used as a dwelling, is the last of the old barracks occupied by Federal soldiers after the Battle of Atlanta. It is situated on Ella Street right across from Bessie Strong. About 3:45 on this particular afternoon the whole community smelled smoke and rushed out to find the source. They found the building ablaze with -park- flying over toward Spelman. In a few minutes the fire engines came and strenuous ef forts were made to extinguish the flames. I lie firemen were successful in doing so. but not before the house was seriously damaged. It belongs to Spelman and carries a host of memories linked to the chain of SpelmanV history. It is a replica of each of the buildings shown above, which are the fir-t dormitories used by the \tlanta Baptist Female Seminar) when it was moved to this site in Febru ary, 1883. Every Spelman girl knows this much of the origin of Spelman College: that it was founded in the basement of Friend ship Baptist Church in 1881 by Miss Packard and Miss Giles. Our knowledge, however, often stops just there, and 1 am no exception to the rule. So it was inter esting to dig up some facts about these buildings. \\ hen the young seminary was moved to nine acres of the present campus, there were these four buildings, to be used as dormitories, and one other, the old mess hall, utilized for dining hall, classrooms and chapel. The latter was burned down two or three years later. I he dormitories were numbered 1. 2. 3. and 4. Each contained eight large rooms and a square central hall on the first floor. No. 1 provided living quarters for Mi-- Packard. Miss Giles, faculty members, and the room where students received callers. 1 he other three build ings housed students, sometimes as many as six in a room. In the rear of No. 3 and No. 4 wore Evarts Ward for the sick, also a training school for classes in nursing, and the Model School, where the lowest grades were taught by Miss Grover and high school students did practice work in teaching. To every member of the community every choice bit of information concern ing our founders and their activities should be of special interest and should be cherished by them. April 11 marks Spelman'- sixty-sixth anniversary It is with warmth and sincerity that we lift our voices and sing: Spelman. thy name we praise." God Ides- Mi-- Packard and Miss Giles. Spelman Go I lege 66 lli -in nivpmarv April II, 1947