By Hamilton Richardson
Elmore/Autauga News
Top Photo: Essie Stallworth handed out photos of the Lamar Estate that she hoped County Commisioners would assist her with at Tuesday’s meeting.
During Tuesday’s Autauga County Commission meeting, although there was tension once again related to the paving of roads in District 5, one local resident approached the governing body to ask for their assistance in recognizing a historical landmark located there and shared with the commissioners why it was so important to her family and to the community.
“I live on the Lamar Estate,” said resident Essie Stallworth. “It is a historic landmark. My grandfather built the first African American school, one of the first African American schools, in 1927.”
Stallworth passed out photos and a map of the Home House on the estate to commissioners.
“I’m here today to restore the Home House and to restore the school and get the road blacktopped,” she explained.
County Commissioner from District 5 Larry Stoudemire asked in what way did she need assistance.
“I’m asking to get the road blacktopped, to restore the school and restore the Home House,” she repeated. “It is a historical landmark that was done in 2002. I did that in 2002.”
Autauga County Engineer John Mark Davis told the commissioners that he visited the location in question earlier Tuesday.
Commissioner John Thrailkill asked if the house was still standing as he held up the photos to Stallworth.
“Oh yeah,” she said. “It’s there. I want to turn the house into a living facility for elderly people.”
The District 5 citizen was asked if she had to complete her 501c3, to which she replied, “Who do I need to talk with to get those things done? A 501c3 will help me ask for money from the county and the state in order to establish the Home House and the school and the blacktop.”
“You’re just asking for an appropriation,” asked Thrailkill.
“Exactly,” said Stallworth.
Deputy Administrator Audra Smith told Stallworth that she could submit a written request and she would make sure the request gets processed, but she did need to also submit the 501c3 with her request.
Stallworth thanked the group and sat down and her cousin, Delores Finley, spoke up about the situation next.
“I wanted to give history on the Lamar Estate,” Finley said. “The land was bought in 1881, 400 acres by my great-grandfather. Then in 1889, his son, my grandfather, 417 acres and the road was named by a family member, called Lamar Estate Road. The road was the same since I was four years old and I left here at 11 and came back at 58.”
Finley added that in 1938, the road was being done by the county.
“The whole road,” she said. “I understand that one of the reasons the county started that road was because of the school. We are asking for some help on this road and some trees to be removed.”
Davis explained that there is a tree farm on the road and there is a gate because it is property of the tree farm, therefore the trees cannot be removed.
Finley said the gate was put up without permission.
At the end of Finley’s time period to speak, Commission Chairman Jay Thompson thanked her.
Previous to Stallworth and Finely addressing commissioners about the Lamar Estate, two other District 5 residents, Jack Morgan first and then Jackie Speigner, took time to share their concerns.
“For the last two months now, we’ve been coming down discussing, discussing, discussing District 5 about paved roads and the park,” said Morgan. “You’ve been telling us you have no funds to pave roads, roads that were supposed to be paved.”
Morgan brought up funds in the Road and Bridge Account, saying there is $3.4 million in the account.
“So, if there’s $3.4 million in that account, we can pave,” he said. “If we have money in the account, we can pave the roads.”
He then began to discuss funds from the American Rescue Plan being used for parks.
“There’s no way these ARP funds cannot be used for this park,” he commented. “I will make a motion tonight to put $500,000 in this park out here. We got $10.84 million but we use $325,000 to pay for legal services that’s funded in ARP. But we can’t put $500,000 in the park.”
Morgan stood and stared at commissioners for a few minutes then broke the silence by saying, “That’s the same thing we do every week. We sit around and it’s like we don’t care.”
Thompson explained that there is a budget meeting coming up and that Commissioner Stoudemire can bring that request to that meeting as the group evaluates the budget for the next year.
“We will discuss it in the budget hearing,” said Stoudemire.
Morgan asked if paving roads will also come up in the budget hearing and Stoudemire said yes.
Speigner, when she approached the body, repeated many of the same things Morgan brought up roads, funding and improvements in District 5.
“After 22 years, you still have not developed Old Kingston Park to its full potential,” she said. “I know you’re getting ready for your budget hearing so I’m just asking for you to please consider getting something done in District 5.”
