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YOURELLIJAY.COM SUPPORTSED SAVING THE OLD COURTHOUSE!!
The Gilmer County Courthouse, built as a Hyatt
Hotel, was razed on Jan. 7, 2008. (Georgia Trust for Historic
Preservation)
The people have spoken, and a brick courthouse in northern Georgia
fell this week.
Built in 1898 as a Hyatt Hotel, the neoclassical building in
Ellijay, Ga., was converted to the Gilmer County Courthouse in 1934. The county
fire marshall condemned the ailing in 2003, and in November 2006, voters in the
county of 28,000 passed a referendum to raze the old courthouse and build a new
one.
"Counties that have lost their historic courthouses are always
sorry about it afterwards," says Jack Pyburn, FAIA, director of Atlanta-based
Lord, Aeck & Sargent's Historic Preservation Studio. "Gilmer County's
historic courthouse was unique as Georgia's only courthouse not originally built
for that purpose. Fortunately, the overwhelming number of counties in Georgia
consider their historic courthouses to be a significant definer of their
community's identity, past, present and future."
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, which named the
courthouse to its 2007 list of Places in Peril, is working with its partners to
save the state's other historic courthouses.
Other states have struggled to maintain their historic
courthouses. A decade ago, after the National Trust for Historic Preservation
named Texas' courthouses to its 1998 list of America's 11 Most
Endangered Historic Places, then-Gov. George W. Bush formed a plan to save
the state's 234 structures.
"Not only has this project restored the original character of
community centers across Texas, it also generated a resurgence of economic
development, jobs and heritage tourism in surrounding areas. With more than $145
million in grant funds so far, 4,500 jobs have been created and nearly $177
million in gross state product," according to the National Trust for Historic
Preservation, which in June announced that the state's courthouses were "saved."
We are truly sorry that another irrecoverable aspect of America's past will be demolished in the hallowed name of "progress" and that fickle God of "cost-efficiency". It joins the loss of SO many of our social values/graces, our trust in others, our personal safety, our ability to hear true quiet and a Sparrow's song from afar, and so much more as the world closes in riding the coat-tails of the diminishing value systems many of us grew up with and/or cherish in their own right.
We are sorry that current and future generations will now not be able to stride those old floors, as I have done, and actually sense that VERY REAL echo of the past.
They will never feel the almost-spiritual presence of the generations of good citizens who have passed through those halls for 100 years past, whether present there when it was a hotel or later as a courthouse.
There WAS and still is, an essence of warmth and somehow being-in-touch with those souls who formed our town. They will leave now, lest they be buried anew in the dust of destruction
We have asked one, if not the prime, leader of the effort to save the Courthouse to make a closing statement before we archive the Courthouse battle on a sub-page.. Her words follow.. Tom
A BATTLE WELL FOUGHT
The Gilmer County Historical Preservation Society wishes to thank all those
who worked so diligently on the efforts to save the Gilmer Courthouse.
Many people spent hours volunteering their time and creating flyers, buttons
and articles for the news media. Others rescheduled their vacations,
manned a booth at the Apple Fest in downtown, or walked the streets handing
our flyers and answering questions. We had eight UGA students who are
taking courses in Historic Preservation who volunteered for two days helping
us with this effort.
We thank the members of the Better Home Town Project
and the newly formed Ellijay city Historic Preservation Committee for their
support and input. In addition we thank the merchants around the square for
their support and displaying the signs to save the courthouse.
We thank the
preservationists from the DNR/HPD and Georgia Trust who came in person over
the last few months to speak to various groups around town about the
importance of historical buildings.
We feel that we did our best to educate
the public. It is just another feather in the hat for the throw-away
society to destroy another historic structure, a sad sign of the times.
We
hope that those who are interested in heritage and history will opt to join
the historical society and perhaps work towards educating the community to
their history so they will learn to appreciate it more.
Leslie Thomas, President
Gilmer County Historical Society
P. O. Box 221
Ellijay, GA. 30540
706-635-3864
Post Mortem The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Announces its 2007 List of State's 10 'Places in Peril'
ATLANTA, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The Georgia Trust for Historic
Preservation released today its 2007 list of 10 Places in Peril in the
state.
Sites on the list include: Cherokee structures in North Georgia; the
City Auditorium in Waycross; the Gilmer County Courthouse; the Wren's Nest
and Herndon Home, both in Atlanta; the Eleanor Roosevelt School in Warm
Springs; raised Tybee Island cottages; the Aluminum Mill Hill workers'
houses in Eatonton; the Virginia-Highland neighborhood in Atlanta; and the
Hand Trading Company Building in Pelham.
"This is the Trust's second annual Places in Peril list," said Greg
Paxton, president and CEO of the Trust.
Places in Peril is designed to raise awareness about Georgia's
significant historic, archaeological and cultural resources, including
buildings, structures, districts, archaeological sites and cultural
landscapes that are threatened by demolition, neglect, lack of maintenance,
inappropriate development or insensitive public policy.
"We are not attempting to develop a 'most endangered list' for
Georgia," Paxton emphasized. "There are many other locations throughout our
state that could have been on our list -- and they are just as endangered
and in need of community help as the 10 we have identified," he added.
"The locations chosen are not only endangered themselves, but represent
a group of similar threatened historic resources. We must never forget that
once a historic place is gone, it's gone forever," Paxton said.
Through Places in Peril, the Trust will encourage owners and
individuals, organizations and communities to employ proven preservation
tools, financial resources and partnerships in order to reclaim, restore
and revitalize historic properties that are in peril.
Sites on the Trust's 2006 list, which was announced in November 2005,
included: the Terrell County Courthouse in Dawson; the Auburn Avenue
Commercial District in Atlanta; Andalusia, the home of Flannery O'Connor,
outside of Milledgeville; Hartwell Downtown National Register District;
Pasaquan, an internationally acclaimed visionary art site in Marion County
near Buena Vista; U.S. Highway 17, the gateway to Historic Brunswick and
the Golden Isles; the former Hawkinsville High School; Ponce de Leon
Apartments in Atlanta; City Mills in Columbus; and, the Cowen Farmstead in
Acworth.
Summary information on each 2007 Places in Peril site follows. For
additional background material and more information on each site including
a downloadable high resolution photo, go to
http://www.georgiatrust.org/preservation_resources/pip2007.htm
Cherokee Structures in North Georgia
Before the Cherokees were forced out of Georgia in 1838, they lived
accomplished lives with a written alphabet, newspaper and constitution. The
Cherokees built cabins, operated ferries and constructed stagecoach stops
and taverns, along the Federal Road and throughout North Georgia.
The homes of more notable Cherokees, James Vann and Major Ridge, are
protected. But, a great many Cherokee-built structures are gone. Others
have been incorporated into larger homes, making it difficult to assess
exactly what is Cherokee-built. These significant historic resources are in
peril because they remain unidentified, undocumented and unprotected.
Efforts are already underway to identify Cherokee sites and structures
in North Georgia. The Georgia Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association has
undertaken this task and also to support legislation to amend the Trail of
Tears National Historic Trail to include trail segments in Georgia. But,
additional information is needed in order to identify, document and protect
those existing structures.
City Auditorium, Waycross
Constructed in Waycross through the Works Progress Administration in
1937, the City Auditorium was built as a recreational and community
facility. It has housed numerous events, including concerts by Roy Orbison
and Elvis Presley.
Although still in use, the building is plagued by deferred maintenance
and water infiltration. It needs a new roof and electrical and plumbing
systems.
Viewed as a local landmark and ideal community center, the city is
pursuing National Register-listing and wants to incorporate the auditorium
into the local downtown historic district. To make the building fully
functional, the city needs community support, as well as both public and
private funding.
Gilmer County Courthouse, Ellijay
The Gilmer County Courthouse in Ellijay, which is listed in the
National Register, was constructed as the Hyatt Hotel in 1898 and converted
to civic use in 1934.
After decades of deferred maintenance, the county commission proposed
demolition of the courthouse, claiming rehabilitation would cost more than
new construction. Experienced preservationists pointed out that the
rehabilitation methodology of tearing down all but the brick walls was
unnecessary and the most expensive approach possible. When similar
courthouses throughout Georgia and the U.S. have been rehabilitated to
preservation standards the overall has been, in fact, considerably less
than new construction.
Gilmer County citizens, however, voted on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2006, to
demolish this historic building. While it appears that the courthouse will
become a victim of the wrecking ball in the near future, the Trust will
continue to work in partnership with several state agencies to save
Georgia's remaining historic courthouses.
For more information see the cover story in the September-October 2006
issue of The Rambler at
http://www.georgiatrust.org/publications/SEPTEMBEROCTOBER06.pdf
Wren's Nest, Atlanta
Located in the West End neighborhood of Atlanta, Joel Chandler Harris
purchased this home in 1883. Harris, a journalist and editor of the Atlanta
Constitution, is famous for writing the Uncle Remus stories. Opened to the
public in the 1920s, the Wren's Nest was designated a National Historic
Landmark in 1962.
Today, the Wren's Nest, currently operating in the red, is struggling
to keep its doors open due to diminished grants, low membership and
lackluster visitation.
Although the house is in excellent condition, the operations are in
need of immediate financial assistance. The Wren's Nest is representative
of historic house museums in similar circumstances throughout Georgia and
nationwide.
Herndon Home, Atlanta
Alonzo Herndon, a former slave who became Atlanta's first black
millionaire, constructed this residence in 1910. Operated as a house museum
by a foundation created by Herndon's son in 1947, it became a National
Historic Landmark in 2000.
In 2005, the foundation dismissed the museum staff and closed the
doors. Reports of water damage and other needed repairs surfaced. The house
is currently open to the public by appointment only.
Although repairs have been made, the lack of funding for operations and
maintenance of the building remains the most imminent threat. Alternative
funding sources and uses are needed for the home to continue to benefit the
public.
Eleanor Roosevelt School, Warm Springs
The Eleanor Roosevelt School, dedicated in 1937 in Warm Springs, is the
last of more than 5,000 schools built with Rosenwald funds. Julius
Rosenwald, an early investor, president and chairman of Sears, created a
fund to provide seed money to build schools for African-American children
from 1918 to 1932. Of the 242 Rosenwald schools built in Georgia, only 43
have been identified as extant.
Closed in 1972, this school has since been used as office space and a
storage facility. Although the original windows are lost, the building
remains in sound condition, but requires extensive rehabilitation.
A local group and the State's Historic Preservation Division have been
meeting to discuss possible uses. Meriwether County is considering
purchasing the building for a museum and community center.
Aluminum Hill Mill Workers' Houses, Eatonton
These vernacular houses were built between 1885 and 1910 as residences
for workers at a nearby mill. Although simple, the houses do contain
original features and are significant resources to the revitalization of
the adjoining downtown Eatonton.
The houses are in fair condition, but many have roof leaks and several
have been poorly renovated. The current owner has taken no interest in the
property, and although for sale, has not allowed potential buyers time to
study the property.
This group of historic buildings needs to be sold to a
preservation-minded buyer who will rehabilitate them. The homes would make
an ideal affordable housing project. Other mill villages around the state
are in similar situations.
Tybee Island Raised Cottages
Built a full story above ground to accommodate the automobile, Tybee
Island Raised Cottages were first constructed in 1923. These cottages are
the most prevalent building type on Tybee, representing nearly 25 percent
of the historic resources on the island.
Development is putting immense pressure on the historic resources, view
sheds and open spaces of Tybee Island. Developers are buying lots, tearing
down or moving historic buildings and constructing duplexes, condominiums
or larger beach houses.
Tybee Island passed a local preservation ordinance and drafted design
guidelines in 2000, but no local historic districts have been designated.
In order to protect the island's historic resources, historic districts and
design guidelines need to be enacted.
Virginia-Highland Neighborhood, Atlanta
Developed in Atlanta between 1905 and 1936, Virginia-Highland is a
neighborhood that incorporates a variety of early 20th century
architecture. It remains one of Atlanta's most active and well-known
historic neighborhoods and was listed in the National Register in 2005.
Teardowns and incompatible infill are having a large impact on the
character and quality of life in Atlanta's historic neighborhoods. The same
characteristics that attract new residents are being undermined by this
incompatible and intrusive construction. This trend is not only affecting
Virginia-Highland, but also areas like Ansley Park and Reynoldstown.
Mayor Shirley Franklin and many residents are beginning to address how
neighborhoods are being affected by this current trend. Additional local
historic districts under the Atlanta Urban Design Commission would help
prevent loss of historic resources.
Hand Trading Company Building, Pelham
Mr. J. L. Hand completed construction of the 98,000-square-foot Hand
Trading Company Building in 1916. With four stories, this building is the
centerpiece of downtown Pelham, population 4,100.
The store closed in 1985 and over the last 20 years the building has
remained primarily vacant. Currently there are several businesses on the
first floor, but the building requires immediate attention.
The building is already in good hands. The Joint Development Authority
of Colquitt, Grady, Mitchell and Thomas counties purchased it in 2003.
Since then, they have received several grants, but additional funding and
identified uses are needed to make this community landmark viable.
Background Information on The Georgia Trust
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is the country's largest
statewide, nonprofit preservation organization with more than 8,000
members.
Committed to preserving and enhancing Georgia's communities and their
diverse historic resources for the education and enjoyment of all, The
Georgia Trust generates community revitalization by finding buyers for
endangered properties acquired by its Revolving Fund; provides design
assistance to 107 Georgia Main Street cities and encourages neighborhood
revitalization; trains teachers in 61 Georgia school systems to engage
students to discover state and national history through their local
historic resources; and, advocates for funding, tax incentives and other
laws aiding preservation efforts.
The Georgia Trust is a recipient of the Trustees Award for
Organizational Excellence from the National Trust for Historic
Preservation.
For more information on the Trust go to http://www.georgiatrust.org
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
1516 Peachtree Street, NW
Atlanta, GA 30309-2916
Tel 404-881-9980
Fax 404-875-2205
http://www.georgiatrust.org
WELL, THIS GIVES **ME** CONCERN! ;-) 
