Several hundred people visited Paine College on Sunday to pay their respects to one of Augusta's historical gems.

The event marked the dedication and open-house for the replica of the home of the late Frank Garvin Yerby, a black novelist whose works were sometimes adapted to motion pictures. One of his works was displayed Sunday at home on Paine's campus.

The 1947 film The Foxes of Harrow is based on the best-selling novel by Mr. Yerby, a Paine graduate.

Descendants of Mr. Yerby attended the event, along with several community members and Paine officials. Paine President George C. Bradley and his wife, Dr. Tina Marshall-Bradley, welcomed guests at Gilbert-Lambuth Memorial Chapel.

Dr. Bradley described construction efforts as a symbol of the college's strength.

The original home was donated by home-builder Allan Collier and moved to Laney-Walker Boulevard beside the campus. Structural problems rendered most of the asbestos-ridden house beyond repair.

Crews salvaged the home's staircase and bricks and used them in the replica.

Mr. Yerby. who died in 1991, is also author of the Paine College Hymn.

Dr. Bradley said Sunday's open house helps to reintroduce Mr. Yerby to an Augusta population that might be unfamiliar with his internationally renowned status.