These Walls Did Talk!

These Walls Did Talk!

"If these walls could only talk", has been used many times by people when speculating about an old home or building that was built over 100 years ago or more. The walls of the historic Will Mayfield Administration and Classroom building did talk, and they have told the restoration team who some of the people were who walked the halls and attended classes there in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The walls were "name dropping", so to speak. After the old layers of wallpaper and paint were removed the names began to appear.

In 1880 Dr. William H. Mayfield moved the Mayfield-Smith Academy from Smithville, now Sedgewickville in northern Bollinger County to Marble Hill, the county seat. This building was the first on the new campus over-looking the town and was completed in 1885. This first building was immediately filled with faculty and students, before the interior walls were painted or papered. The bare walls appear to have prompted the students to start the tradition of signing the walls, which probably wasn't really discouraged, since they knew the walls would eventually be finished. However, wall covering were not the priority at the Mayfield-Smith Academy for several years, it would seem. Some of the students put dates by their names and the dates that have been found continued up through 1905. The walls dropped more names each day as more sections of the old walls were prepared for restoration. This means that at least the upstairs classrooms and hallways were still not papered when the name of the institution was changed to Will Mayfield College in 1903. At some point the walls were painted and later papered; all the names where covered up and forgotten. The College closed in 1934 and the property was purchased later and used as an assisted living facility for years. Not all of the remaining college buildings were used during this period and fell into disrepair. The Will Mayfield Heritage Foundations was formed to purchase and work to preserve the remaining two stately and historic college buildings. Now that the restoration has taken the walls back to the original surfaces; the names, written mostly in pencil, have come to light. They were everywhere, even up high enough above the chalkboards that the students would have had to stand on tables or possibly a ladder to write. Pictures have been taken to preserve the signatures and a project has been started to find out more about each of these people and their lives after leaving Will Mayfield.

The volunteers did a little research and found Essie May Vanamburg attending school in 1910 in Indiana; she went on to finish her college education. Her parents are listed as Don and Mary L. Vanamburg in the 1900 census and she was 14. Her father was a merchant here, so was able to send his daughter to Will Mayfield. Haven't found a marriage record, yet, for Essie. Seaman Chandler was the son of John and Katie Chandler and was born in 1887. The 1900 US Census has them living in Lourance Township, Bollinger County. He would have been about 13-14 in 1901. He was an older brother to Homer Chandler, who was a banker in Marble Hill for years. They also had a sister Bertha. His father was listed as a physician, so they could send him to school at Will Mayfield.

Yearbooks of the students that attended during the 1920's have been collected and help preserve those students' places in the college's history, but the walls have told us who many of the students were from the late 1800's and the early 1900's for the earlier years for which yearbooks haven't been found or didn't exist. The names are now photographed, this was done ahead of the drywall crew, to preserve the students' signatures and add those students' life stories to the college's history.

Volunteers helping to preserve the names, also hope to continue the tradition of adding the names of the people who continue to use the building as it is transformed and given a new life; repurposed into the Mayfield Cultural Center. The Mayfield Cultural Center Walk of Honor, a fundraising project, which is presently underway to raise much needed monetary support for the new center will give everyone a chance to have their name added to the history of this historic campus. Paving stones maybe personalized to add a lasting tribute to your support or the memory of a loved one.

Everyone is also encouraged to share identifiable old pre- 1930's photographs or films of Bollinger County with the Mayfield Cultural Center for a proposed video exhibit. You may take pictures by the Bollinger County Library to be scanned, so you may keep your originals, or call the Mayfield Cultural Center to make other arrangements.

The Mayfield Cultural Center sits next to the Bollinger County Museum of Natural History, Home of the Missouri Dinosaur, which was the Will Mayfield College Arts and Science Building. It was also restored and saved from ruin by the Will Mayfield College Heritage Foundation.