History

Cordele, Ga. opened the doors for plenty of educational opportunities in 1902. A man by the name of Augustus S. Clark was one of the men to thank. In  North Carolina Dr. Clark was born and encouraged to attend Lincoln University where he earned his Bachelor and Master Degree Of Art & Theological studies. After leaving there Dr. Clark relocated to Augusta, GA. There he taught for one year at the Haines Institute. The year of 1898 Dr. Clark was introduced to the National Board of Missions to help a church by the name of St. Paul, which helped develop the Gillespie-Selden Institute.

On opening day at Gillespie School, the school only had three participating faculty members, twenty-eight African American boys & girls students,and two wooded buildings. In 1914 another story was added an in 1915 and the  Y.M.C.A. was formed.

In 1925 Gillespie upgraded to a five room hospital on the second floor of the school building. The hospital was named in honor of a leader by the name of Charles Helm. Both black & whites Doctors provided treatment along with eight girls engaging in nursing training. By the year of the 1932, Gillespie was well known and established.

Three years later Mr. William J. Gillespie passed away, and he left his estate to Gillespie-Selden Institute. Later  that year a tornado hit the entire area.  The school was not harmed and  the hospital was used for relief  efforts where  African Americans cared for the  injured people without homes. In 1941 Dr. Clark retired, having Mr. L.S. Brown, of the Harbison Institute as principal. Dr. Clark stayed in Cordele after retirering and continued to Pastor at St. Paul's Church.

Beginning in 1990 until today, the church has used the administration building and outdoor facilities to operate its neighborhood recreation program. The operation of the Daycare was transformed to the corporation in 2002 and in 2004 the corporations assumed control of the Recreation Program.

The St. Paul/Gillespie-Selden Rural Life Community Center is current incarnation of an institute with a long and proud history of serving people of Cordele. Thanks to the recent restoration efforts and it's designation as a member of the National Registry of Historic Places, the people who depend of the services and legacy of the Institue can count on it being a part of their lives for many years to come.