View of Furman University, 1861.

In John Warner Barber. Our Whole Country: Or, The Past and Present of the United States, Historical and Descriptive. Cincinnati: H. Howe, 1861.

 Take a closer look

The move to Greenville in 1851 inspired a fundraising campaign that built a new campus along the Reedy River in the heart of the growing town, on 50 acres purchased from Vardry McBee, the founder of Greenville. Once again, the change in location set the course for a modern university. It adopted a new name—The Furman University—and a new mission—a liberal arts academic program was added to the theological curriculum. In the 1850s, the university achieved a measure of financial stability and the enrollment multiplied from 15 in 1851 to 228 in 1855.

The “Old Main” building, completed in 1854 and renamed Richard Furman Hall in 1921, became the centerpiece of the new school. But whose hands helped build this grand, new campus? We are about to see a set of documents that provide evidence of the initial construction work on Furman’s downtown Greenville campus in the 1850s.

Next, we will explore role of the enslaved people in helping build Furman.

Bond Pledge Book, Furman University, 1853-1855

Let's restore the humanity of the enslaved labor named on the record book of bonds sold to raise money for the construction of the Furman University campus. Paslay, who worked as an agent of the South Carolina Baptist Convention joined others to travel across South Carolina to secure pledges and maintain contact with donors over time.

• In what ways did slaves give shape to Furman spaces where we learn, work, and live?