CHANGES IN CHARLESTON, FINAL PART; BENEFACTRESS NEWNAM PROVICES CHARLESTON WITH MODEL FACILITIES

CHARLESTON -- Several shiny new buildings bear Clara Drinkwater Newnam's name in Charleston, but the benefactress has touched many more buildings and lives since her death.

Newnam, a native Charlestonian, left a $5 million estate with instructions that a large portion of it be issued from a community trust to benefit her hometown. Layton Pickard, one of the trustees who administered the trust fund, said although several private bequests were paid out of the estate, there was enough money left to allow every church in town to receive additional funding for building and other improvements.

Take Perry Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, whose trustees used a Newnam grant to pay off the loan on the church's educational building. Similarly, members at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church also used a Newnam grant to pay off the remainder of their church's mortgage."It came in the nick of time," said Maxine McDowell, a Shiloh church member. "It was much needed and much appreciated, and when it came we knew exactly what we wanted to do with it." A bequest made to Charleston's United Methodist Church, where Newnam had been a member, jump-started a $2 million building fund campaign to construct an expanded, modernized facility.

George E. Simmons, a fellow church member and neighbor, described Newnam as "one of the most genteel individuals you ever met in your life." Although the community trust fund was amazing to consider financially, it was in keeping with Newnam's character."In a small community sometimes you don't know that people have this type of money," said Simmons. "She just was the most wonderful person, a person that was just an everyday individual you would meet in your neighborhood."Newnam's bequests were not limited to churches. A modern facility was built to house the Mississippi County Library, which had long been cramped in a small facility across the street from the county courthouse. Charleston School District also received a $1 million grant to build an auditorium that is used for school plays, district meetings and a variety of community events.

Both facilities are named for Newnam and have prominent displays of her portrait.

Superintendent Terry Rowe said estate trustees were involved in the planning for the new auditorium, which seats about 500 people and is adjacent to Charleston High School. Their main intent was to create a facility that would meet the needs of the school district and community."It's a really good-looking facility," said Rowe. "It's very modern, but well-designed to complement the existing building."Simmons said Newnam had a vision for her community. People recognized she wanted them to work together and uplift the community, and her bequests were made to get the cooperation started."I think it brought a proudness of the community, of what people meant to the community," said Simmons. "I think they're very highly pleased that a person from the community would think enough to give that type of money to so many different entities. "Everything she touched related to a lot of different people," he added.