Remembering Dr. Fairchild

    Richard Venable, lifelong Greenwell Springs resident and father of several members of the Amite River Preservation Association, shares his memories of Dr. Fairchild.  Richard credits Dr. Fairchild with having a great deal to do with his personal love of this area and its history and people.

    I have known Dr. Fairchild my entire life. There was never a time that I spent with him that he did not share something significant with me about Greenwell Springs and our families. Sometimes it was the same stories again, which he would recognize midway through and laugh at himself.  His was passionate about Greenwell Springs and the preservation of its history. In the late 90's when the springs were unearthed at Greenwell Springs he was in his element. Many curious worker, politician, or spectator that visited the site while he was there received a wonderful oration about what went on there a century and more before. After tons of debris had been removed I will never forget how lucky I felt to be there when he walked down in the old springhouse to see all 10 original spring enclosures.  When our park at Greenwell Springs becomes a reality we should pay homage to Dr. Fairchild for his vision.  The city of Central and the community of Greenwell Springs has lost our historian and a patriarch.

-Richard Venable