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'They were all about doing things that would service the public': Dublin Motel on historic preservation list

Herbert "Hub" Dudley, a prominent Black business owner in Dublin, opened the Dudley Motel in 1958 during the Civil Rights era

DUBLIN, Ga. — The Dudley Motel and Cafe in Dublin is on a statewide list of endangered historic places. Last year the city proposed a park to honor its original owner Herbert Dudley.

Hub Dudley Motel and Café served as a refuge for African Americans traveling through Central Georgia.

Herbert "Hub" Dudley, a prominent Black business owner in Dublin, opened the Dudley Motel in 1958 during the Civil Rights era. Carl Pearson, Dudley's grandson, says these types of facilities did not exist in Dublin until Dudley created it.

"They were all about doing things that would service the public. What services do the folks in the community need that were not already here," Pearson said.

The Dudley Motel was listed in African American travel guides such as the Green Book. 

Scott Thompson, a historian in Dublin, says some famous guests checked in including Martin Luther King, Jr., Little Richard and James Brown. 

Dudley also owned the nearby Retreat Café and Service Station, as well as several other businesses for African Americans in Dublin.

Thompson says Dudley just had a heart for helping people.

"He was involved in WWI and WWII with the Red cross and helping out people who lost families, lost belongings, lost houses. He was always there to give people a hand up," Thompson said.

Laura Irwin says Hub Dudley helped her with her first home when she moved to Dublin in the 50s. She says he made the city feel welcoming.

"We all had a nice friendship with Mr. Dudley and the retreat we came and ate here a lot at the retreat. It was one of the nicest places in Dublin," Irwin said.

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation releases it's list of places in peril each year. 

Pearson says they might look at the property as a bed and breakfast or as a historic museum to promote other historic items from Dublin's past.

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