Barnesville’s history is filled with stories of African Americans whose hard work and vision shaped the community. Among Barnesville’s heroes is Helena Maud Brown Cobb, an educator and missionary who had a profound influence on African American education and the Colored Methodist Episcopal (C.M.E.) Church. Her work in establishing the Helena B. Cobb Institute in 1909 is a testament to her commitment to education and faith.
Helena Maud Brown was born to Jonas Brown and Louvenia Tunsil on January 24, 1869 (or 1870), growing up in Barnesville during a difficult but hopeful Reconstruction era. She graduated with honors from Storr’s School in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn district, an institution created by missionaries who worked to educate former slaves. Helena Brown devoted herself to building up the African American community, spending 15 years teaching and serving as a principal at various African American schools in the state of Georgia.
In 1899, Helena married the Reverend Andrew Jackson Cobb, a minister in the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church. Their marriage was centered on promoting their Christian faith and education, and they devoted themselves to these values. As Helena continued her work as an educator, she also became a prominent missionary leader, advocating for the C.M.E. Church to invest more in opportunities for women. She was instrumental in promoting the women’s missionary movement, eventually becoming editor-in-chief of The Women’s Missionary Age.
As an educator, Helena was on the frontlines of African American public education around the turn of the century. She found the resources extremely inadequate for Black students, particularly in rural Georgia. To combat these issues, Helena and Andrew Cobb began gathering funds to build their own school for African Americans in Barnesville.
On October 7, 1909, the Helena B. Cobb Institute was opened to girls and young boys, located at Washington Park. One could hardly imagine anything of this sort standing at this site today (modern-day Washington Circle near the Continental plant in Aldora). The Cobb Institute philosophically followed the principles popularized by Booker T. Washington, providing vocational and academic training. Beyond academics, the school was dedicated to seeing its students grow spiritually. To Helena Cobb, the Christian faith and education were inseparable elements of life that each fueled the other.
At its peak, the Cobb Institute had over 200 students. It was once said to be the only school in the South owned and operated by African Americans that specifically included Black girls in its admissions.
Helena Maud Brown Cobb died on December 30, 1922, in Atlanta at the age of 53. After her death, the Cobb Institute merged with another school in Cordele and began serving students at that location under the name Holsey-Cobb Institute.
Today, Helena Brown Cobb’s remains rest in O’Neal Cemetery at the end of Railroad Street in Barnesville. A trailblazer for Black women and African American education in what is now Lamar County, she deserves the highest honor and lasting remembrance for her extraordinary life and legacy.
Grant Turner is the editor of the Barnesville Buzz and an educator, coach, and writer based in Barnesville, Georgia. He shares stories that bridge community, faith, and personal growth. In addition to teaching and coaching, Grant is Director of Musical Worship and a Sunday School teacher at New Hope Baptist Church in Zebulon, Georgia. He lives in Barnesville with his wife, Haley.
