HSF to Spotlight Savannah’s Endangered African-American Landmarks in HSF Lecture Featuring Kathy Thomas and Pat West

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAVANNAH, Ga. (Jan. 23, 2026) – Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) — the leading nonprofit cultural institution dedicated to saving the buildings, places and stories that define Savannah’s past, present and future — will host an informative, engaging lecture on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. titled “Savannah’s Endangered African American Landmarks: Lifting the Stories of Historical Nicholsonboro Baptist Church and LePageville Memorial Cemetery” as part of the Historic Savannah Foundation Lecture Series, “The People, Places and Stories that Define Savannah.” Attendees are invited to attend a wine reception at the Murray C. Perlman and Wayne C. Spear Preservation Center, located in the Historic Kennedy Pharmacy at 323 E. Broughton St. in Savannah, Ga. at 5:30 p.m., immediately preceding the lecture.

Guest speakers Kathy Thomas, executive director of The Friends of Historical Nicholsonboro Baptist Church, Inc., and Pat West, retired Savannah State University English professor and member of the LePageville Board of Directors since 2016, will share under-represented stories in Savannah’s historical narratives in observance of Black History Month.  

“We’re incredibly honored to welcome Kathy Thomas and Pat West as our featured speakers on February 19^th,” said Historic Savannah Foundation President and CEO Collier Neeley. “We warmly invite community members to join us as we uncover the important history of two endangered local landmarks with strong ties to Savannah’s African-American community.”

Thomas will discuss the rich history of the Historical Nicholsonboro Baptist Church, the White Bluff/Coffee Bluff community and its Gullah-Geechee heritage. In addition, she will share ways to engage with the rehabilitation and reintroduction of this historic landmark, which is located on Savannah’s southside.

West will offer a fascinating account of the history of the LePageville Memorial Cemetery on Savannah’s eastside, sharing details about its people and their unmarked, endangered burial places. She will also trace the cemetery’s pre-history back to the Revolutionary War, as plantations during enslavement, and as part of a living community until 1967.

In addition to the lecture on Feb. 19, Historic Savannah Foundation has partnered with Historical Nicholsonboro Baptist Church, a nationally recognized Gullah-Geechee sacred house of worship, to offer a special tour of the church on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. This tour is free and open to the public, but space is limited and advanced registration is required. Attendees can reserve their spot by visiting myhsf.org/events/lecture-series or contacting Kendall Graham at [email protected].

Kathy Thomas, executive director of Friends of Historical Nicholsonboro Baptist Church, Inc., has spent her career facilitating the development of people and organizations. Prior to her retirement, she served as vice president of learning and development at Northrop Grumman Corporation. She currently serves as historian for The Crusaders Club, which is the oldest continually operating descendant community service organization in the historic White Bluff/Coffee Bluff community. Her passion for historic preservation and community engagement is fueled by a deep commitment to honor and preserve the legacy of her White Bluff/Coffee Bluff ancestral community.

Patricia Ann West is a Savannah native who retired from Savannah State University as an Assistant Professor of English in 2022 and currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Ossabaw Island Foundation. She is the author of Still Water Words: Poems and Stories from Ancestral Places and co-authored the e-textbook Great Works of African American Literature through a grant from the University System of Georgia. She brings attention to the beauty of her Gullah-Geechee heritage and culture as a focus for literary scholarship through inspired writing and creative performance.

Historic Savannah Foundation’s 2026 Lecture Series will continue in March with Sabrinna Cox discussing “The Legacy of Clermont Lee and Landscape Architecture in Savannah” on Thurs., March 19 as part of Women’s History Month. For more information about upcoming HSF Lectures, please visit myhsf.org/events/lecture-series.

The Historic Savannah Foundation Lecture Series is open to the public. Reservations are recommended, as space is limited. Attendance is free for Historic Savannah Foundation members and $15 for non-members. Both members and non-members may reserve their spot by visiting myhsf.org/events/lecture-series. Please contact Kendall Graham at [email protected] for more information about the HSF Lecture Series.