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W.W. Law to be honored at historic Holly Grove

Holly Grove African Methodist Episcopal Church, home to Peachtree City’s first historical marker, will honor W.W. Law, also known as “Savannah’s Law,” Sunday, Feb. 13 at 3 p.m. The speaker for the occasion will be the Rev. Nelson Rivers III, chief operating officer of the NAACP.

Westley Wallace Law, historian, preservationist and civil rights leader, was born in 1923. He was elected president of the Savannah Chapter of the NAACP in 1950 and maintained that post for 26 years. He was a true symbol of the civil rights struggle.

As a historian, Law restored grave sites at Laurel Grove South Cemetery. He was instrumental in the preservation of Savannah’s African-American neighborhood. In 1996, Law was awarded the Historic Savannah Foundation Davenport Award, the first African-American in Savannah to receive the honor.

He also received the National Preservation Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1998 for his work in the refurbishing of the Ralph Mark Civil Rights Museum and Beach Institute.

Law died in his home July 29, 2002, at the age of 79.

The Holly Grove A.M.E. community met Law on February 28, 1999, when he spoke at the church on “Pointing the Way,” a message touching on the importance of learning and preserving one’s history. Law’s message reiterated the significance of sharing stories and becoming knowledgeable about people who were in the area before it became known as Peachtree City.

The church also will host a Children’s Black History Program Feb. 5 at 11 a.m. which will feature stories on the contributions of African-Americans along with games and trivia. Refreshments will be served. For information contact Gail Goode 770-631-1047.