AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Lucy Craft Laney is buried in front of the high school that bears her name — and the institution she founded more than 140 years ago is still educating the Augusta community today.

Dr. Cordaryl Middleton, principal of Lucy C. Laney High School, said he passes her burial site at the front of the school every day.

“It makes me feel special knowing that we have a physical lady who gave birth to all of this,” Middleton said. “Her spirit is here with us as we continue to educate our kids.”

Laney was born in Macon, Georgia, in 1854. Her father had purchased freedom for himself and his wife before her birth. She learned to read and write at an early age and later enrolled in the first class of Atlanta University, known today as Clark Atlanta University.

In 1883, Laney started a school in the basement of Christ Presbyterian Church with a handful of children. Three years later, she chartered the Haines Normal and Industrial Institute. To fund the school’s growth, Laney traveled north in 1886 to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to meet with the Presbyterian assembly.

Augusta’s Black History:

“This trip that she made in 1886 to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to meet with the Presbyterian assembly and it was through that trip she met Francine Haines,” said Corey Rogers, executive director of the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History. “She gave Laney access.”

The school, named for benefactor Francine Haines, grew to offer kindergarten through junior college, teacher training, and the Lamar School of Nursing. It also served as a cultural center for Augusta’s African American community. Rogers said support for the school extended well beyond a single donor.

“So it wasn’t just northern Presbyterians assisting Laney,” Rogers said. “It was southern black doctors, nurses, dentists, college professors, your average everyday person investing in these schools.”

The Haines Normal and Industrial Institute operated until 1949, when it was replaced by the present Laney High School, built on the same ground where Laney first established her mission.

Today, Laney’s name is attached to schools in two states. An elementary school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, carries her name, as does the high school in Augusta built on the site of her original institute. Rogers, who leads the museum housed in Laney’s former home, said the history belongs to all of Augusta.

“This is Augusta’s history,” Rogers said. “It’s told from a specific perspective, but this history that we’ve been telling for the past 35 years is for all Augustans to appreciate, to celebrate, and to acknowledge.”

Middleton said Laney’s example remains central to the school’s mission.

“Ms. Laney was a pioneer in education, instilling in our students that education is a very important gateway to anything in life,” Middleton said.

The Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History is open to the public.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An incident at Lucy C. Laney Comprehensive High School on Wednesday forced administrators to lock down a hallway and restrict student movement for about an hour.

According to a letter sent to families, a student “physically assaulted an employee” in one of the hallways.

The assault involved a member of a contracted staff organization, according to the school system.

School administrators, teachers, and Richmond County School System police responded immediately to the incident.

Out of an abundance of caution, school officials say classroom transitions were limited and students were held in place while personnel responded and cleared the area.

The student was removed from school and the incident will be addressed under the school’s Code of Student Conduct and Discipline and applicable state law, according to the letter.

“The safety and well-being of our school community remain our highest priority,” the Richmond County School System said in a statement. “The school system maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding any conduct that threatens the security of our campuses.”

The school system says it is cooperating fully with local authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and that appropriate administrative and legal actions are taken.

Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Construction has continued across downtown Augusta, with the new Augusta Arena rising on schedule and on budget, the former Ramada Hotel under development under a new name, and roadwork on the 500 block of Broad Street set to begin next week.

Crews are currently building a crane to haul steel and begin work on the arena’s steel skeleton. The former Ramada Hotel, which had been vacant, is now under construction and has announced its new name: The Conroy.

Orange construction barrels and cones along Broad Street have marked the area for some time. Steven Fishman, owner of Sidney’s — a business that has operated on Broad Street since 1894 — said he has watched the corridor change over the decades.

“I watched Broad Street expand. I watched Broad Street in 1960s, 1950s. It was jumping. Everything was happening,” Fishman said.

Some businesses have felt the impact of the ongoing construction. One source noted that businesses “can’t get foot traffic, and they can’t get parking,” adding that “there’s a lot of empty buildings on Broad Street.”

Dylan Pope, area manager for Sole and Fifth and Fire, said the disruption is part of a larger process.

“I think we’ve been wanting change for downtown and change comes with a process at the same time,” Pope said.

Pope said the construction represents a shift in what downtown Augusta could become.

“I think we’re making this more of a destination strip. You know, we’re making it to where people are going to come downtown and stay downtown,” Pope said.

He added that the work will benefit the area long-term.

“It’s going to lay the foundation for the future that I believe that a lot of us do want for downtown, which is putting money back into downtown and actually putting the right foot forward for downtown,” Pope said.

The original construction timeline projected the work could take up to 36 months, which would place the completion date in late next month. Empty buildings along the block are also being refreshed as part of the broader development activity.

Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.