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1.1. Charles Estlin Phillips and Emeline Aubin Kinloch Craft and Family, 1879-2007

 Sub-Series

Scope and Contents note

Includes photographs, correspondence, autograph book, scrapbooks, programs, and other materials relating to Charles and Emeline Craft and their descendants. Materials relating to Charles and Emeline Craft include a family bible, autograph book containing the signatures of family and friends, including prominent members of African American society, correspondence and postcards, photographs, and other materials.

In addition to photographs of family and friends, materials collected by Julia Craft and Herbert DeCosta relate to Howard University and alumni of Howard University, the H. A. DeCosta Company, and Charleston-area social clubs such as the Owls Whist Club, Entre-Nous Bridge Club, Charleston chapter of Links, Inc., and others.

Materials collected by Herbert A. DeCosta, Jr. and Bernice DeCosta Davis include family photographs, documents relating to Avery Normal Institute graduation, the marriage of Bernice DeCosta and Albert Miles Davis, and other materials.

Dates

  • Creation: 1879-2007

Creator

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Biographical/Historical note

Charles Estlin Phillips Craft (1852-1938), eldest son of William and Ellen Craft, married Emeline Aubin Kinloch (1854-1944) of Charleston, South Carolina. Charles was a railway postal clerk and Emeline was a seamstress. They had three children, Henry Kempton Craft (1883-1974), Aubin Deas Craft (1893-1914), and Julia Ellen Craft (1898-1990). Aubin Craft died of scarlet fever while attending college in Atlanta, Georgia.

Henry Kempton Craft (1883-1974) married Elizabeth Bessie Virginia Trotter (1883-1949) in 1912. Henry was the Executive Secretary for the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) until 1946.

Julia Ellen Craft married Herbert Alexander DeCosta (1894-1960), in 1921. They had two children, Herbert Alexander DeCosta, Jr. (1923-2008) and Bernice Craft DeCosta (1924-2011). Herbert A. DeCosta, Sr. founded the H. A. DeCosta Construction Company in 1919 in Charleston, South Carolina and served as president of the company until his death. Julia graduated from the Avery Institute in 1915 and Howard University in 1919. She was an educator at Burke High School and served as bookkeeper, secretary, and finally treasurer for the H. A. DeCosta Construction Company for 56 years.

Extent

From the Collection: 7.0 linear feet (11 archival boxes)

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Arrangement note

Arranged chronologically.

Repository Details

Part of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture Repository

Contact:
125 Bull Street
Charleston South Carolina 29424 United States
843-953-7608