Oral History

Handy Campbell, Debra Coleman, and Paul Simmons - On his family, learning masonry, and building projects

Interviewed by Hudson Vaughan on December 13, 2018

This interview focuses on Handy Campbell’s work and family history and how grew up and learned how to be a mason from his father. His father learned from Handy’s grandfather (Judge Campbell). He described learning how to be a bricklayer as a 6 year old and building a stone house with his father when he was 10 years old. He also built rock walls at UNC, some of the brick walls, and a brick bridge. He mentions being commissioned to build a house for the Nevilles, mentoring of Albert Washington, and his relationship with Earl Eversall who was a Chapel Hill builder who was “like a father” to Campbell. He discusses going out on his own, independent from his father’s business, at 15 years old. He talks about his siblings: George Bill, Jake, and Neal were his brothers, he talks about which ones were involved with stonework, some of his sisters were mentioned (Louise, Lee, Mary, Anne, Callie), there were 11- 12 children total in his family, but his discussion of them is inaudible at parts. He mentions his relationship with Joe and Lucy Fearrington, his former neighbors, and talks about working with William ‘Smitty' Smith.

Handy Campbell, Debra Coleman, and Paul Simmons - On his family, learning masonry, and building projects

Oral history interview of Campbell, Handy conducted by Vaughan, Hudson on December 13, 2018 at Phone interview. Processed by Davenport, Erin.

Citation: Marian Cheek Jackson Center, “Handy Campbell, Debra Coleman, and Paul Simmons - On his family, learning masonry, and building projects,” From the Rock Wall, accessed April 18, 2024, https://fromtherockwall.org/oral-histories/handy-campbell-debra-coleman-and-paul-simmons-on-his-family-learning-masonry-and-building-projects.

"We’re writing our own history, thank you!"

Ms. Esphur Foster

Want to add in?  Have a different view?  What do you think? Want to upload your own photos or documents?

History is not the past.  It’s the sense we make of the past now. Click below to RESPOND—and be part of making history today.

Respond