Under the guidance of Landmarks, the vicarage at the Church of the Good Shepherd has received a new roof. In the fall of 2023, Landmarks nominated Church of the Good Shepherd to the Georgia Trust’s Places in Peril program, with Good Shepherd honored to receive this designation. From that success, Landmarks completed an Historic Structures Report (HSR) for buildings located on Good Shepherd’s campus, assessing the physical condition of each of the church’s 3 historic buildings.
Capitalizing upon these successes, in the fall of 2024 Landmarks applied to the Callahan Foundation requesting funds to replace the roof on Good Shepherd’s Vicarage, embedding the HSR within the grant application. A $5,000 grant was awarded with the Diocese of Georgia, All Saints, and St. Thomas Episcopal churches contributing financially to the cost of roof replacement. Landmarks guided this project with the vicarage roof successfully replaced late last week.
Thomasville’s Church of the Good Shepherd was established in 1893 under the leadership of Rev. C.I. LaRoche, rector of Thomasville’s St. Thomas Episcopal Church. In the early 1890s, a contingent of 27 African American parishioners approached Rev. LaRoche, requesting a church be designed to serve the African American community. The sanctuary was constructed in 1894 and was followed in 1896 with construction of the church’s parish hall. Design and construction of the church’s vicarage followed in 1908.
The church, parish hall, and vicarage uniquely served both the black community’s religious and educational needs. Parish hall classrooms and lending library, which functioned from 1896 – 1964, are located on the parish hall’s second floor, documenting the Episcopal Church’s early commitment to African American education.
