64-641: Benedict College is a private historically black college in Columbia, South Carolina , United States. Founded in 1870 by northern Baptists, it was originally a teachers' college. It has since expanded to offer majors in many disciplines across the liberal arts. The campus includes buildings in the Benedict College Historic District , a historic area listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Benedict College
128-403: A bipartisan bill that permanently invested more than $ 250 million a year to HBCUs. In 2021, President Joe Biden 's first year in office, he invested a historic $ 5.8 billion to support HBCUs. In 2022, Biden's administration announced an additional $ 2.7 billion through his American Rescue Plan. Homecoming is a tradition at almost every American college and university, however homecoming has
192-483: A demonstration of racial progress. Black schools hired coaches, recruited and featured stellar athletes, and set up their own leagues. In the 1930s, many Jewish intellectuals fleeing Europe after the rise of Hitler and anti-Jewish legislation in prewar Nazi Germany following Hitler's elevation to power emigrated to the United States and found work teaching in historically black colleges. In particular, 1933
256-615: A firm belief in diversity and giving opportunity no matter the race, religion, or country of origin. HBCUs were open to Jews because of their ideas of equal learning spaces. They sought to create an environment where all people felt welcome to study, including women. HBCUs made substantial contributions to the US war effort. One example is Tuskegee University in Alabama, where the Tuskegee Airmen trained and attended classes. After
320-538: A highly cherished tradition and festive week, homecomings generate strong revenue for HBCUs and many black owned businesses. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools ( SACS ) is a regional educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation . As of 2022,
384-746: A member of the Ohio Valley Conference since 1986, while Hampton left the MEAC in 2018 for the Big South Conference . In 2021, North Carolina A&T State University made the same conference move that Hampton made three years earlier (MEAC to Big South). Both Hampton and North Carolina A&T later moved their athletic programs to the Colonial Athletic Association and its technically separate football league of CAA Football; Hampton joined both sides of
448-501: A more unique meaning at HBCUs. Homecoming plays a significant role in the culture and identity of HBCUs. The level of pageantry and local black community involvement (parade participation, business vendors, etc.) helps make HBCU homecomings more distinctive. Due to higher campus traffic and activity, classes at HBCUs are usually cancelled on Friday and Saturday of homecoming. Millions of alumni, students, celebrity guests, and visitors attend HBCU homecomings every year. In addition to being
512-577: A part of the college's community development goal, it has renovated more than 50 rundown properties in the adjacent community in Columbia. The Benedict College Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. It encompasses five buildings constructed between 1895 and 1937: Morgan Hall (1895), Pratt Hall (1902), Duckett Hall (1925), Antisdel Chapel (1932), and Starks Center (1937). Benedict offers 29 degrees from 12 departments. In addition to offering traditional education,
576-630: A predominantly black student body are not classified as HBCUs because they were founded (or opened their doors to African Americans) after the implementation of the Sweatt v. Painter (1950) and Brown v. Board of Education (1954) rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court (the court decisions which outlawed racial segregation of public education facilities) and the Higher Education Act of 1965. In 1980, Jimmy Carter signed an executive order to distribute adequate resources and funds to strengthen
640-571: A scant few, found little acceptance in elite institutions in Depression-era America , which also had their own undercurrent of antisemitism . As a result of these phenomena, more than two-thirds of the faculty hired at many HBCUs from 1933 to 1945 had come to the United States to escape from Nazi Germany. HBCUs believed the Jewish professors were valuable faculty that would help strengthen their institutions' credibility. HBCUs had
704-750: Is driven by partnerships with online educational entrepreneurs like Ezell Brown . NCAA Division I has two historically black athletic conferences: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference . The top football teams from the conferences have played each other in postseason bowl games: the Pelican Bowl (1970s), the Heritage Bowl (1990s), and the Celebration Bowl (2015–present). These conferences are home to all Division I HBCUs except for Hampton University and Tennessee State University . Tennessee State has been
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#1732787088042768-593: Is fully accredited by the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC). Benedict's Marching Tigers "Band of Distinction" was founded in the 1960s under the direction of Roy McCollough. The band performs at most football games, home basketball games, and several special events throughout the year. Mr. Herman Jones led the Benedict College Marching Band of Distinction and
832-684: The African-American middle class . In the 1950s and 1960s, enforced racial segregation in education was generally outlawed across the United States. There are 101 HBCUs in the United States (of 121 institutions that existed during the 1930s), representing three percent of the nation's colleges, including public and private institutions. Twenty-seven offer doctoral programs, 52 offer master's programs, 83 offer bachelor's degree programs, and 38 offer associate degrees. HBCUs currently produce nearly 20% of all African American college graduates and 25% of African American STEM graduates. Among
896-658: The Charlie W. Johnson Stadium for its football games on-campus, which opened in 2006. Basketball games are played at HRC Arena . The Benedict Tigers tennis team won the SIAC conference championship in 2015. In 2022, the Tigers football team put together their best season in school history, winning the SIAC championship and qualifying for the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time. In addition, Benedict also claimed
960-891: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving African Americans . Most of these institutions were founded during the Reconstruction era after the Civil War and are concentrated in the Southern United States . They were primarily founded by Protestant religious groups, until the Second Morill Act of 1890 required educationally segregated states (all in the South) to provide African American, public higher-education schools (i.e. state funded schools) in order to receive
1024-1029: The Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors. The SACS Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) accredits universities and colleges in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Latin America (Extraterritorial). Every six months, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges publishes an online report on its accreditation actions, including reaffirmations of accreditation and public sanctions of institutions of higher learning. The reports include specific public sanctions of schools and statements disclosing why those institutions have been placed on sanction. The Commission on Colleges accredits both public and private institutions of higher education in
1088-614: The Denmark Technical and Roanoke–Chowan Community Colleges , citing lack of governing board characteristics, as well as financial federal and state responsibilities and conflict of interest, among others. The SACS also had denied faculty change to Ferrum College and a change from private to public to the Florida National University . In 2018 a merger between College of Biblical Studies and Crossroads Bible College had been proposed and accepted with
1152-558: The HBCU Library Alliance . That alliance, together with Cornell University , have a joint program to digitize HBCU collections. The project is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation . Additionally, more historically black colleges and universities are offering online education programs. As of November 23, 2010, nineteen historically black colleges and universities offer online degree programs. The growth in these programs
1216-524: The Higher Education Act of 1965 established a program for direct federal grants to HBCUs, to support their academic, financial, and administrative capabilities. Part B specifically provides for formula-based grants, calculated based on each institution's Pell grant eligible enrollment, graduation rate, and percentage of graduates who continue post-baccalaureate education in fields where African Americans are underrepresented. Some colleges with
1280-494: The Loyola University New Orleans for the same reason and set up special committees to Johnson University and Prairie View A&M University for the full year. Due to this process, Memphis Theological Seminary was denied reaffirmation and was put on warning for a year, citing the lack of financial responsibilities and institutional planning. The SACS had also put full year and half year warnings on
1344-638: The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1988–89 to 2001–02 (hence it held dual membership with both the NAIA and the NCAA). Benedict competes in 14 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, tennis, track & field and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cheerleading, cross country, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball. The college has built
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#17327870880421408-480: The black college national championship for schools competing below the NCAA Division I level. 34°00′47″N 81°01′13″W / 34.012947°N 81.020345°W / 34.012947; -81.020345 Historically Black colleges and universities Historically black colleges and universities ( HBCUs ) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before
1472-703: The second Morrill Act of 1890 , also known as the Agricultural College Act of 1890 , requiring states to establish a separate land grant college for blacks if blacks were being excluded from the existing land grant college. Many of the HBCUs were founded by states to satisfy the Second Morrill Act. These land grant schools continue to receive annual federal funding for their research, extension , and outreach activities. Predominantly black institutions (PBI) are institutions that do not meet
1536-485: The Act's benefits (19, generally larger institutions, fall under this Act). During the period of racial segregation in the United States , the majority of American institutions of higher education served predominantly white students, and disqualified or limited black American enrollment. Later on some universities, either after expanding their inclusion of black people and African Americans into their institutions or gaining
1600-777: The Bipartisan Congressional Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Caucus was established by U.S. Representatives Alma S. Adams and Bradley Byrne . The caucus advocates for HBCUs on Capitol Hill . As of May 2022 , there are over 100 elected politicians who are members of the caucus. Annually, the U.S. Department of Education designates one week in the fall as "National HBCU Week". During this week, conferences and events are held in Washington, D.C. to discuss and celebrate HBCUs, as well as recognize some notable HBCU scholars and alumni. As of 2024, Alabama has
1664-575: The CAA in 2022, while A&T joined the all-sports CAA in 2022 before joining CAA Football in 2023. The mostly HBCU Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference are part of the NCAA Division II , whereas the HBCU Gulf Coast Athletic Conference is part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics . HBCUs have a rich legacy of matriculating many leaders in
1728-546: The Caribbean, Central and South America. There are a number of affiliate organizations within the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. One affiliate organization is the Southern Association of Community, Junior, and Technical Colleges. The first SACS was founded in 1895 and is made up of Council on Accreditation and School Improvement and the Commission on Colleges, which existed since 1912. It also works with
1792-914: The Central American Institute of Business Administration) in Costa Rica and Nicaragua; and Keiser University Latin American Campus in Nicaragua. The SACSCOC has also accredited the American University in Dubai and the American University of Ras Al Khaimah. SACS CASI accredits over 13,000 primary , middle , and secondary schools , and school systems located in the SACS region. In 2006, AdvancED
1856-601: The HBCU has outlived its purpose and lost its relevance for black youth (Lemelle, 2002; Sowell 1993; Suggs, 1997b). Following the enactment of Civil Rights laws in the 1960s, many educational institutions in the United States that receive federal funding have undertaken affirmative action to increase their racial diversity. Some historically black colleges and universities now have non-black majorities, including West Virginia State University and Bluefield State University , whose student bodies have had large white majorities since
1920-661: The North, especially the American Missionary Association . The Freedmen's Bureau played a major role in financing the new schools. Atlanta University – now Clark Atlanta University – was founded on September 19, 1865, as the first HBCU in the Southern United States. Atlanta University was the first graduate institution to award degrees to African Americans in the nation and the first to award bachelor's degrees to African Americans in
1984-695: The South; Clark College (1869) was the nation's first four-year liberal arts college to serve African-American students. The two consolidated in 1988 to form Clark Atlanta University. Shaw University , founded December 1, 1865, was the second HBCU to be established in the South. The year 1865 also saw the foundation of Storer College (1865–1955) in Harper's Ferry , West Virginia. Storer's former campus and buildings have since been incorporated into Harpers Ferry National Historical Park . Some of these universities eventually became public universities with assistance from
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2048-578: The Student Leadership Development Center. During this period, new construction has included three residence halls, a parking garage, a campus center/dining hall, an Administration Building, and a Business Development Center. Additionally, buildings were acquired to house a fitness center, and the Division of Community Development/Center for Excellence. Three apartment complexes have been purchased for student housing. As
2112-641: The United States, including some community colleges as well as four-year institutions. As a regional accreditor , SACSCOC accreditation extends to all of the educational programs offered at the accredited institution. Institutions in Latin America accredited by SACSCOC include the Mexican universities of Fundación Universidad de las Américas, Puebla ; Universidad de las Americas, A.C. ; Universidad de Monterrey ; Tecnológico de Monterrey ; Instituto Centroamericano de Administración de Empresas (INCAE or
2176-568: The bachelor's degrees and 21% of the master's degrees earned by blacks in 1976–77, compared with the 14% and 6% respectively of bachelor's and master's degrees earned by blacks in 2014–15. Additionally, the percentage of black doctoral degree recipients who received their degrees from HBCUs was lower in 2014–15 (12%) than in 1976–77 (14%). The number of total students enrolled at an HBCU rose by 32% between 1976 and 2015, from 223,000 to 293,000. Total enrollment in degree-granting institutions nationwide increased by 81%, from 11 million to 20 million, in
2240-774: The college also offers continuing education for those "non-traditional students". Benedict College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate degrees. The Teacher Education Program is fully approved by the South Carolina Department of Education and the Program in Social Work is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The Environmental Health Science Program
2304-447: The college in 1891, became the first African-American president of the college. Five African-American presidents have succeeded him. In 1994, with a strategic planning process in place, Benedict College set an enrollment goal of "2000 by the year 2000". The goal was achieved in 1996 with an enrollment of 2,138 students. The fall 2002 enrollment was 3,000. Benedict College is engaged in an ongoing strategic planning process, which will guide
2368-565: The college in the 21st century. The college is implementing a $ 50 million campus improvement plan, which includes land acquisition and the completion of a comprehensive athletics complex. Campus facilities improvements over the past nine years have included upgrade of residence halls by installation of air-conditioning, fire sprinkler systems, and security systems; completion of an activities field and community park; renovation of historic Antisdel Chapel, and Bacoats and Alumni halls, and restoration of historic Morgan, Pratt, and Starks halls, including
2432-782: The district's Hall of Fame, led the choir for over 20 years. Benedict athletic teams are the Tigers. The college is a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) since the 1932–33 academic year. The Tigers previously competed in the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (EIAC) of
2496-410: The fields of business, law, science, education, military service, entertainment, art, and sports. Federal funding for HBCUs has notably increased in recent years. Proper federal support of HBCUs has become more of a key issue in modern U.S. presidential elections. In President Barack Obama 's eight years in office, he invested more than $ 4 billion to HBCUs. In 2019, President Donald Trump signed
2560-520: The government and the secretary on the future development of these organizations. Starting in 2001, directors of libraries of several HBCUs began discussions about ways to pool their resources and work collaboratively. In 2003, this partnership was formalized as the HBCU Library Alliance , "a consortium that supports the collaboration of information professionals dedicated to providing an array of resources designed to strengthen historically black colleges and Universities and their constituents." In 2015,
2624-771: The government. In 1862, the federal government's Morrill Act provided for land grant colleges in each state. Educational institutions established under the Morrill Act in the North and West were open to blacks. But 17 states, almost all in the South, required their post-Civil war systems to be segregated and excluded black students from their land grant colleges. In the 1870s, Mississippi, Virginia, and South Carolina each assigned one African American college land-grant status: Alcorn University, Hampton Institute, and Claflin University, respectively. In response, Congress passed
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2688-631: The graduates of HBCUs are civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. , United States Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall , and United States Vice President Kamala Harris . HBCUs established prior to the American Civil War include Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in 1837, University of the District of Columbia (then known as Miner School for Colored Girls) in 1851, and Lincoln University in 1854. Wilberforce University
2752-641: The institution was chartered as a four-year liberal arts college by the South Carolina legislature and its name was changed to Benedict College. In addition to funding from Baptist donors, the school received grants from the Slater Fund . From 1870 to 1930, Benedict College was led by a succession of seven northern white Baptist ministers, all college-educated. On April 10, 1930, the Reverend John J. Starks , who earned his bachelor's degree from
2816-1113: The landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954, the legislature of Florida, with support from various counties, opened eleven junior colleges serving the African-American population. Their purpose was to show that separate but equal education was working in Florida. Prior to this, there had been only one junior college in Florida serving African Americans, Booker T. Washington Junior College , in Pensacola, founded in 1949. The new ones were Gibbs Junior College (1957), Roosevelt Junior College (1958), Volusia County Junior College (1958), Hampton Junior College (1958), Rosenwald Junior College (1958), Suwannee River Junior College (1959), Carver Junior College (1960), Collier-Blocker Junior College (1960), Lincoln Junior College (1960), Jackson Junior College (1961), and Johnson Junior College (1962). The new junior colleges began as extensions of black high schools. They used
2880-539: The legal definition of HBCUs, but primarily serve African Americans. Some examples of PBIs are Georgia State University , Chicago State University , Trinity Washington University , and the Community College of Philadelphia . In the 1920s and 1930s, historically black colleges developed a strong interest in athletics. Sports were expanding rapidly at state universities, but very few black stars were recruited there. Race newspapers hailed athletic success as
2944-443: The mid-1960s. As many HBCUs have made a concerted effort to maintain enrollment levels and often offer relatively affordable tuition, the percentage of non–African-American enrollment has risen. The following table highlights HBCUs with high non–African American enrollments: Other HBCUs with relatively high non–African American student populations According to the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2011 edition,
3008-482: The most active HBCUs of any state, with 14. North Carolina is second with 11. In 2023, the average HBCU 6-year undergraduate graduation rate was 35% while the national average was 64%. Spelman College had the highest graduation rate among HBCUs at 74%. Also in 2023, 73% of students attending HBCUs were Pell Grant eligible while the national average was 34%. Talladega College had the highest percent of Pell Grant eligible students among HBCUs at 95%. In 2015,
3072-480: The nation's economy with 35% coming from the multiplier effect . There are also developments in how African Americans may choose or not choose an HBCU. HBCUs are at risk of losing ground in terms of quality of their applicants as well. The current admission policies of predominately White institutions (PWIs) ensure that qualified applicants of any color are accepted and most top institutions actively recruit minority students. Well qualified minority students are often
3136-488: The nation's public and private HBCUs. His executive order created the White House Initiative on historically black colleges and universities (WHIHBCU), which is a federally funded program that operates within the U.S. Department of Education . In 1989, George H. W. Bush continued Carter's pioneering spirit by signing Executive Order 12677, which created the presidential advisory board on HBCUs, to counsel
3200-541: The need for such institutions, with Crummell arguing that HBCUs were necessary to provide freedom from discrimination, and Douglass and Garnet arguing that self-segregation would harm the black community. A majority of the convention voted that HBCUs should be supported. Most HBCUs were established in the South after the American Civil War , often with the assistance of religious missionary organizations based in
3264-508: The organization oversees approximately 750 public and private degree-granting educational institutions in the Southern United States . Its headquarters are in North Druid Hills, Georgia , near Decatur , in the Atlanta metropolitan area . SACS accredits educational institutions in the states of Alabama , Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , Louisiana , Mississippi , North Carolina , South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas , and Virginia , and educational institutions for U.S. students in Mexico,
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#17327870880423328-522: The proportion of white American students at Langston University was 12%; at Shaw University , 12%; at Tennessee State University , 12%; at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore , 12%; and at North Carolina Central University , 10%. The U.S. News & World Report ' s statistical profiles indicate that several other HBCUs have relatively significant percentages of non–African American student populations consisting of Asian, Hispanic, white American, and foreign students. HBCU libraries have formed
3392-415: The same facilities and often the same faculty. Some built their own buildings after a few years. After the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 mandated an end to school segregation, the colleges were all abruptly closed. Only a fraction of the students and faculty were able to transfer to the previously all-white junior colleges, where they found, at best, an indifferent reception. A reauthorization of
3456-426: The same period. Although HBCUs were originally founded to educate black students, their diversity has increased over time. In 2015, students who were either white, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Native American made up 22% of total enrollment at HBCUs, compared with 15% in 1976. In 2006, the National Center for Education Statistics released a study showing that HBCUs had a $ 10.2 billion positive impact on
3520-554: The share of black students attending HBCUs had dropped to 9% of the total number of black students enrolled in degree-granting institutions nationwide. This figure is a decline from the 13% of black students who enrolled in an HBCU in 2000 and 17% who enrolled in 1980. This is a result of desegregation, rising incomes and increased access to financial aid, which has created more college options for black students. The percentages of bachelor's and master's degrees awarded to black students by HBCUs has decreased over time. HBCUs awarded 35% of
3584-576: The status of minority-serving institution , became predominantly black institutions ( PBIs ). For a century after the abolition of American slavery in 1865, almost all colleges and universities in the Southern United States prohibited all African Americans from attending as required by Jim Crow laws in the South, while institutions in other parts of the country regularly employed quotas to limit admissions of black people. HBCUs were established to provide more opportunities to African Americans and are largely responsible for establishing and expanding
3648-528: The target of frenzied competition (Cross, 2007). This competition is reflected in the inducements offered by PWIs to qualified black applicants, most notably monetary incentives, which many students and their parents find too attractive to turn down. For this reason and others, fewer black undergraduates are choosing to attend HBCUs, this figure has gradually declined to 22% as of 2002 (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). This dwindling percentage, coupled with opportunities at PWIs, have led some to speculate whether
3712-465: The war. The institute's mission was to prepare men and women to be "powers for good in society." Because enslaved people had been prohibited from learning to read or write, initially classes were held at the grammar school level in reading, writing, and math; other subjects included Bible and theology. Eventually, other subjects were added to the curriculum to address the original objective of the school: to train teachers and preachers. On November 2, 1894,
3776-441: Was a challenging year for many Jewish academics who tried to escape increasingly oppressive Nazi policies, particularly after legislation was passed stripping them of their positions at universities. Jews looking outside of Germany could not find work in other European countries because of calamities like the Spanish Civil War and general antisemitism in Europe. In the US, they hoped to continue their academic careers, but barring
3840-445: Was also established prior to the American Civil War. The university was founded in 1856 via a collaboration between the African Methodist Episcopal Church of Ohio and the predominantly white Methodist Episcopal Church. HBCUs were controversial in their early years. At the 1847 National Convention of Colored People and Their Friends , the famed black orators Frederick Douglass , Henry Highland Garnet , and Alexander Crummell debated
3904-493: Was credited with giving the band its unique sound. Before preparing to go on a sabbatical leave to study for his doctorate degree at Temple University, the late Mr. Jones recommend Mr. Johnson for the position. The band is currently under the direction of Henry Wade Johnson. In 2022, the band marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade . The Benedict College choir hosts spirituals, festivals and an annual Christmas concert. Linda Kersaw, one of five Richland One alumni inducted into
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#17327870880423968-433: Was established with the unification of SACS CASI, NCA CASI , and NSSE. Today, SACS CASI acts as an accreditation division of AdvancED, now known as Cognia . On December 9, 2018, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools had excluded Bennett College from its membership due to failure of completion of the chapter 13, section 1 of the Principles of Accreditation. During the same year, they have suspended membership of
4032-415: Was founded in 1870 on land of a former 110-acre (45 ha) plantation in Columbia, South Carolina . Representing the American Baptist Home Mission Society , Bathsheba A. Benedict of Pawtucket, Rhode Island had provided $ 13,000 to purchase the property. This was one of numerous educational institutions founded in the South for formerly enslaved people by northern religious mission societies, as education
4096-424: Was seen as key to the future for African Americans. Benedict Institute opened on December 12, 1870. Benedict's first class consisted of ten freedmen ; the teacher was the Reverend Timothy Dodge . He was a college-educated preacher from the North, who was also appointed as president of the institute. Classes were first held in the "Big House" of the plantation, which had been built in 1839 and deteriorated during
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