Background
The patio and landscaping in front of the James B. Duke Library is undergoing an extensive redesign. This newly designed plaza will be named in memory of Joseph Vaughn, the first African American student to attend Furman University. In addition to including a sculpture of Vaughn, the plaza redesign will make the area more accessible.
The Joseph Vaughn Plaza construction was one of the recommendations from the Task Force on Slavery and Justice. The creation of this memorial space is the next step in the process of honoring Vaughn. On January 29th, 2020 the university celebrated the first annual Joseph Vaughn Day, and in August a commemorative plaque, including a photo of Mr. Vaughn and a copy of the Joseph Vaughn Day Proclamation, was installed inside the James B. Duke Library building. The library has also compiled a list of digitized resources about Mr. Vaughn and his time as a student at Furman University.
Progress
The construction on the new plaza has moved at a steady pace over the last several weeks. First, two temporary access points were added to the porch to allow students and employees to enter the library during construction. Then crews removed all of the old stone pavers from the patio and began preparing the ground for new bricks and stairs. The new steps leading up from the road have been poured, and now brick laying has begun! You can see a video of the cement delivery on our Instagram (@fu_libraries).
The entire project is expected to be completed in time for the second annual Joseph Vaughn Day in 2021. You can read more about the project on the Furman News site.