SMIRNA, Georgia – For half a century, celebrities, tourists and locals flocked to “Aunt Fanny’s Cabin” restaurant known for a lot for its southern menu as for his image of plantation life and racist imagery where white patrons were served young Black waiters with yoke-like wooden boards with menus hung around their necks.
Aunt Fanny herself is Fanny Williams, a black cook. who worked for White family who owned business – was once described in newspaper article as “famous mommy of color”.
restaurant shut down 30 years ago, but the little white shack itself, easily overlooked on Atlanta Road in in small suburban city of Smyrna became the center of improbable controversy how southern community can move on from his pain past without forgetting your history in process.
City officials recently proposed breaking building down, claiming that it has fallen into such a state of disrepair that it would be too much to fix it. costly. place was the source of civil discomfort for years, but among those who made every effort to save him were members of Smyrna Black community, who argued that demolishing the cabin would erase critical part of local black history. Last week a decision to save Aunt Fanny’s hut, but move to the nearest farm gave supporters chance fight with how best save complicated story of in restaurant – as well as of Miss Williams herself.
” city embarrassed and instead of payment out how in honor of Fanny Williams they want erase it,” said Marilyn Blackburn, leader of Coalition to Save Aunt Fanny’s Cabin group of Black and white residents who worked to save building. “These images of boys with menus are terrible. However, this is part of history. You cannot change this. You can’t take it away, put it under the rug to make it easier for you.”
Argument over Aunt Fanny comes at the time when scores of Confederate statues and other symbols of The Old South was removed or moved. But fate of Smyrna restaurant was divisive and personal in a different way, as black residents recall their own experiences with Aunt Fanny and seek to learn more about the woman in the center of debate.
Aunt Fanny’s cabin that was isolated in in its early years, it operated from 1941 to 1992, offering fried chicken, mac and cheese, “gen-u-wine Smithfield” ham, and other regional delicacies. Black people worked as cooks, hosts, waiters and waiters. The waiters were made sing for white patrons. A uniform for female employees included apron dresses and head wraps that reminded of the era of slavery. It was, for time, among best-famous restaurants in Atlanta area and inspired other local restaurants that romanticized the region of the plantation history.
Jackie Gleeson ate at Aunt Fanny’s. So does Clark Gable.
A little former employees give feedback about the institution with nothing but disgust.
“This doesn’t remind me of nothing but racism,” said Roderick McNeil, who worked for Aunt Fanny in summer of 1959. “It’s an old racist house and it’s past time for go”.
Lisa Castleberry, who worked there in 1970s, said that just passing by the now empty building regularly reminds her of painful time in Smyrna history.
“Now that I’m older, I like“Oh man, it was so humiliating,” but it was work,” Ms. Castleberry said. who 61.
Miss Castleberry, who black, said that although segregation was officially over by the time she worked there, she and her family, friends and neighbors never felt comfortable going to Aunt Fanny’s.
Another former employees had fonder memories.
“Even if it was founded on slave times no one processed us like slaves and that’s part of historyJo Ann Trimble said. who worked for Aunt Fanny for 19 years. “In this I will be 75 year and i did all kinds of job, and it’s the only job I’ve ever loved.”
Miss Trimble supported her children with her salary and tips from Aunt Fanny. Her sisters, children, aunts and cousins also worked there in different points. fact what restaurant helped many residents of Black Smyrna build their life reason enough to save building, she said, even if it does people inconvenient.
Smyrna, and city of about 56000 peopleabout 46 percent white and 33 percent Black. In 2017 Ms Blackburn became first and only a black woman sits on city Council. She and the others who worked to save Aunt Fanny said that project introduced community with opportunity to confront the racism that existed in it, while also in honor of the black woman who helped build her community.
More than 70 years later death in 1949, very little is known about Fanny Williams. role as a restaurant namesake and chef. Local researchers believe that she made financial contributions to African Americans in in the region a donation to Wheat Street Baptist Church, an African American church. in Atlanta and rise money for Marietta first Black Hospital.
Activists are working to find the grave of Ms. Williams. in in citySouth View Cemetery. They have plans Tell her story in schools and design competition rethink the cabin.
Inclusion building to a welcome centre, museum or culinary school for Proponents say southern food will way honor her.
“We don’t have a permanent structure that honors our history in Smyrna,” said Sean Martin, architect. who Black and studying the cockpit for years. “Aunt Fanny’s hut could be place where is everyone of Black Smyrnites could be celebrated in but space which has been reclaimed in give us the dignity they stole from us for decades.”
Members of city council and other residents who wanted in building left said that city could memorialize Miss Williams in other methods.
“Why don’t we honor her by putting a photo of of her in Museum? We can tell the children about it or build statue,” said Bernice Livesey, a resident who the black. “Anything is better than keeping this little house and said it was in her honor.
restaurant originally created as store Isoline Campbell McKenna, daughter of rich white family for employed by Ms. Williams. This changed Arms over years – having outlived Ms. Williams by four decades – and was not operated as restaurant since 1992. building was in in cityx possession since 1997 when government saved him from breaking down to developers. In recent months it has been cordoned off off with yellow warning tape deemed unsafe city.
In December, city officials said that building would destroyed if not one came forward with offer and money to move This. Last week, the city council accepted the proposal of the owners of nearby livestock farm move cabin there and in honor of Miss Williams with Memorial plaque.
Miss Castleberry said that although she hoped building will be demolished, she felt relieved that it would be moved from city she and others won’t have to see it every day.
For those who wanted save building but also leave it in Smyrna, the result was only a partial victory. Susan Wilkinson, City Council Member who white, said community just started learning about Miss Williams and the value of educating residents about her heritage.
At a recent board meeting, Ms. Wilkinson stated that mission now will be more difficult. “How to save history when the physical space no more?”
