In this issue: -Tybee Theater completes Phase 1 of project funded by license plate -HPD moves into its third building designed by architect A. Thomas Bradbury -Camp Lawton update -The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and Section 106 compliance -Georgia State Historic Preservation Office Timeline, Part 5 -The Better Streets, Better Cities blog -Staff Profiles: Chris McCabe -National Register statistics -Upcoming HPD staff appearances Tybee Theater completes Phase 1 of project funded by license plate by Carole Moore, Grants Coordinator Tybee Island Mayor Jason Buelterman (left) and HPD's Acting Division Director Dr. David Crass (right) cut the ribbon on the rehabilitated faade. (Photo by Nancy Heffernan, compliments of The Tybee Times) Last month, Acting Division Director Dave Crass traveled to Tybee Island to represent HPD at a special event celebrating the completion of Phase 1--faade rehabilitation--at the historic Tybee Theater. The ribbon-cutting event, hosted by the Friends of the Tybee Theater, was especially significant to HPD and preservationists from across the state. The rehabilitation work on the Tybee Theater for window and door repair was the first project funded through the Georgia Heritage Grant program with proceeds received from sales of the preservation license plate. The Friends of the Tybee Theater grant application was one of 37 received in the fall of 2008 as part of the SFY 2009 cycle, totaling almost $800,000 in grant requests. However, state budget constraints that year meant that only $20,000 in license plate money was available to fund only the top-scoring Tybee Theater project. Dave Crass said, "After three years of working with Georgia's preservation community to make the license plate a reality, HPD was thrilled to make this grant award to such an unusual and significant community landmark." Friends of the Tybee Theater President Pamela Lappin said, "We were really honored that we were the first group in Georgia to get this license plate money." bringing the building up to code. The Tybee Theater was constructed in 1930 by the U. S. Army as part of Fort Screven. After Fort Screven was decommissioned in 1945, the theater served as the "beach theater" for the community until 1970, after which it was abandoned. The Tybee Island Historical Society saved the building from demolition by purchasing the building in 2001. In 2005, the Friends of the Tybee Theater purchased the property from the historical society, with plans to rehabilitate the building into a multi-purpose cultural center for Tybee Island. Prior to receiving the Georgia Heritage grant, the group received $350,000 in SPLOST funds to refurbish the walls, recondition the steel structure and install a new roof. Total project cost for the grant-funded Phase I faade rehabilitation is about $33,000, with the $20,000 Georgia Heritage/License Plate award providing a 60% match. The upcoming phases 2 and 3 - for interior rehabilitation - are estimated to cost about $400,000 and include the installation of electrical and plumbing systems, and The license plate, designed by Georgia artist Larnie Higgins of Planet Studio in Atlanta, was authorized by the 2005 Georgia General Assembly and signed into law at that time by Governor Perdue. More than $20 from each $25 license tag fee goes to HPD's Georgia Heritage Grant Program, which provides funding for historic preservation projects around the state. Almost 4,000 plates have been sold through September 30, 2009, for a total of $80,124. Although the Georgia Heritage Grant Program is not a large program, it has made a significant impact on historic preservation projects in Georgia since the program began in 1995. According to Dr. Crass, "since that time the program has awarded over $3 million in matching grants to 243 preservation projects in the state, which includes four additional projects funded with license plate money in SFY 2010," he said. Typical projects have benefited a wide range of historic resources, such as lighthouses, cemeteries, theaters and auditoriums, post offices, jails, depots, 26 courthouses, and over 20 schools. The license plate can be purchased at county tag offices. To find out more about the license plate, visit www.gashpo.org/content/displaycontent.asp?txtDocument=327 or contact HPD's grant coordinator Carole Moore at 404-463-8434 or carole.moore@dnr.state.ga.us. Visit www. tybeeposttheater.org to read about ongoing work at the Tybee Theater. HPD moves into its third building designed by architect A. Thomas Bradbury By Steven Moffson, Architectural Historian A 1955 view of the 254 Washington Street building, shortly after construction. In November, the Historic Preservation Division moved into the historic Labor Building at 254 Washington Street in Atlanta. Completed in 1955, the Labor Building is a seven-story office building designed in a modern classical style and clad in white Georgia marble, which is similar to buildings in the surrounding state capitol complex. The architect, A. Thomas Bradbury, practiced architecture in Atlanta from 1921 until he retired in 1978. He started his career with Robert and Company while studying architecture at Georgia Tech. During the Great Depression, he augmented his work in architecture with a career in law. Bradbury worked briefly for the architecture firm Hentz, Adler and Schutze before forming a brief partnership Augustine Constantine. In 1939, he began his own practice as A. Thomas Bradbury, Architect. Throughout his career, Bradbury designed buildings in a broad range of styles that include the Governor's Mansion on West Paces Ferry Road, inspired by Tara in Gone with the Wind, and the exotic Yaarab Shrine Temple on Ponce de Leon Avenue. Most of his work is modern, such as the International Style Skiles Classroom Building on the campus of Georgia Tech. Bradbury designed many of the state office buildings in the blocks north and south of the state capitol. Between 1954 and 1965, he designed the Agriculture Building, Law and Justice Building, Transportation Building, Labor Building, Health Building, Trade and Industries Building (also called the Trinity-Washington Building), and the Georgia Archives. He also served as lead architect for the renovations of the Georgia state capitol begun in 1957. In previous years, the Historic Preservation Division was located in the nearby TrinityWashington Building and the Health Building, both designed by Bradbury. For additional information see: Robert, M. Craig, The New Georgia Encyclopedia. Biography of A. Thomas Bradbury. Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia, 2004. Robert M. Craig, Atlanta Architecture: Art Deco to Modern Classic, 1929-1959 (Gretna, La.: Pelican, 1995). Timothy J. Crimmins and Anne H. Farrisee, Democracy Restored: A History of the Georgia State Capitol (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2007). Camp Lawton update by Dr. David Crass, Acting Division Director Ground penetrating radar (GPR) signature of potential Camp Lawton POW camp palisade. GPR "sees" beneath the surface of the earth using sound waves. In the June/July 2009 issue of Preservation Posts I reported on a plan to locate the archaeological remains of Camp Lawton, a Confederate POW camp located inside the boundaries of modern-day Magnolia Springs State Park. For years historians have puzzled over the exact location of the prison palisade because contemporary images of the camp by Federal prisoner Private Robert Knox Sneeden are inconsistent in where they show the various buildings. On top of that, portions of the landscape were heavily altered in the 20th century, possibly destroying the camp itself. I'm happy to report that preliminary field investigations by the LAMAR Institute have yielded positive results much more quickly than anticipated. Archaeologists used ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to sample areas where we suspected Camp Lawton structures might be located. GPR transmits sound waves into the ground, and processes an image based on return time, signal strength, and other parameters. The image above has been "scrubbed" through a computer program to process the signals. It appears to show two walls--quite possibly the southwest corner of the prison palisade. Later this month, archaeologists from Georgia Southern University will begin several months of fieldwork dedicated to "ground truthing" this radar sample. We will use the GPR survey results, along with a metal detecting sample survey that was also carried out, to begin an assessment of Camp Lawton's archaeological signature. There should be many buildings there - everything from quarters for prison guards to a hospital - if they were not destroyed by later land alteration. We'll all have our fingers crossed as we try to solve the mystery Private Sneeden left us: where are the Camp Lawton buildings, and what can they tell us about this moment in Georgia history? For further information read "The Brief Life of Camp Lawton" in our June/July 2009 issue. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and Section 106 compliance By Betsy Shirk, Environmental Review Coordinator Historic photograph from National Register files of listed Southern Dairies in Fulton County. HPD reviewed the proposed installation of a solar panel on the roof of Building C of the property. If awarded, Department of Energy's ARRA funds will be used for this work. The project as proposed would have No Adverse Effect to historic properties. One outcome of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 that has not made headlines is the impact on State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) as the projects funded through this legislation are submitted for review for compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (NHPA). These projects include energy, health care, affordable housing, education, roads, and sewer and water improvements. The involvement of federal dollars requires the funding agencies to insure that effects to historic properties are considered in the planning and implementation of these projects. HPD's environmental review staff routinely reviews more than 3,000 project submittals annually, so an increased volume of projects received is not the critical issue. What makes these more challenging are other factors, such as shortened deadlines, agencies that have limited experience with Section 106, applicants who have limited knowledge and experience with Section 106, the amount of money involved and the fact that most of this money is still not spent. However, HPD continues to work with agencies and their applicants to ensure that we have the information necessary to provide our comments on project effects. For instance, 13,000 individual homes will receive weatherization funds through the Department of Energy. While each is subject to compliance with Section 106, HPD is consulting with the agency in an attempt to streamline compliance for this category of projects that works for both Georgia's historic preservation interests and the federal agencies. Recently, HPD co-sponsored a workshop on Recovery Act and Historic Preservation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), the agency that advises the President and Congress on historic preservation issues and administers the provisions of Section 106 of the NHPA. Workshop attendees included state and local governments, private firms, and nonprofits. The ACHP perspective presented at this one-day seminar is that ARRA does not equal business as usual. Several main points for agencies and applicants to take away from the workshop were: - Obligations for ARRA projects should include basic requirements regarding Section106 - SHPOs need background information about programs - Avoid excluding projects merely because they involve historic properties - Develop internal guidance or checklists for coordinating consultation for Adverse Effect projects - Consider using administrative funds to support SHPOs - Failure to conclude Section 106 compliance may delay release of funding - Use information on the web on ARRA (www.recovery.gov) and Section 106 compliance (www. achp.gov/recovery) HPD looks forward to working with agencies and applicants to facilitate Section 106 compliance for ARRA-funded projects. For additional information, check our Web site (www.gashpo.org/ content/displaycontent.asp?txtDocument=314) or contact Betsy Shirk, Environmental Review Coordinator, at elizabeth.shirk@dnr.state.ga.us or Michelle Volkema, Environmental Review Specialist, at michelle.volkema@dnr.state.ga.us. Georgia State Historic Preservation Office Timeline compiled by Helen Talley-McRae, Public Information Coordinator Part 5: 1990-1994 - Historic Preservation Section; Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division; Department of Natural Resources A 1991 staff photo. 1990 - HPD's Environmental Review projects database was created - U.S. Congress passes the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) - Georgia's Living Places: With private, outside funding, HPD created a comprehensive study of historic houses and landscapes and their associated archaeological sites. The study resulted in a uniform definition and description of architectural styles, building types and landscape features. Surveys, information materials, workshops and conferences were carried out. 1990-1992 - Whistlestop Tours: Georgia Department of Industry, Trade, and Tourism and HPD co-sponsored tourism and historic preservation promotional tours around Georgia on the New Georgia Railroad; 1992 tour featured the Olympic Flag Transfer 1991 - Grants and budget coordinator positions were added - Statewide Railroad Industry Context was completed - Following the work of a Joint Legislative Study Committee on Parks, Recreation, Historic Preservation and Natural Areas, preservationists began advocating the governor and legislature for a state funding and development program. Eventually in 1993, their efforts resulted in the Georgia Heritage 2000 grant program to fund rehabilitation projects. These state funds were administered by the SHPO. - Georgia Environmental Policy Act (1991) 12-16-1/8 passed, requires state agencies to prepare environmental assessments on actions that impact the environment, including historic properties. - Georgia Mountains and River Corridor Protection Act (1991); 12-2-1 passed, requires minimum standards to be established for land use development on mountain ridges and along river corridors, including the protection of historic properties, through coordinated planning procedures. - Georgia's Living Places statewide historic preservation conference was held in Columbus - Buildings for All Seasons: Energy Conservation in Historic Buildings video was produced - Abandoned Cemeteries and Burial Grounds (1991); 36-72-1/16 passed, strengthens cemetery protection laws by authorizing local governments to preserve and protect abandoned cemeteries, and to issue permits prior to any disturbance of burials. 1992 - Congress passed a transportation bill that provided enhancement funding for historic and natural resources associated with transportation routes and facilities. www.fhwa.dot.gov/ environment/te/legislation.htm - Georgia Courthouse Manual was produced - Grave Protection and Repatriation (1992); 44-12260/264; 12-3-620/622; 31-21-6; 31-21-44/45 passed, establishing policies for burials, skeletal material and funerary objects regarding archaeological research, public display, buying/selling artifacts and repatriation. - Council on American Indian Concerns (1992, 2002); 44-12-280/285 passed, creating a Council on American Indian Concerns to advise on repatriation issues. Coordinated by DNR, the Council assists state recognized groups of Indians and representatives of tribes once native to the state, such as the Cherokee and Creek nations, to work for greater respect for and preservation of their Georgia heritage. - Office reorganization: a separate Planning Unit was added; three positions were eliminated: unit secretary, planner, CLG/tax coordinator; an intern position was added for the Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network (GAAHPN) - Statewide historic preservation conference was held in Rome - Traveling Through Time: Restoring Historic Homes as Bed & Breakfast Inns video was produced 1993 - Georgia Civil War Commission was created by the legislature following increasing requests for assistance in preserving local battle sites. - The State Capitol Commission was established by a 1993 resolution calling for the preparation of a preservation master plan for the State Capitol. It provided, for the first time, a central coordination mechanism for work to be done on this National Historic Landmark building, a major symbol of the state's government and politics. The plan addressed the building's architecture, landscaping and uses, as well as its exhibits, art and other artifacts located inside the building. Read "Restoration of the Georgia State Capitol: 1994-2007" on the Secretary of State's Web site and "State Capitol Restoration/Museum Collections" by then-Capitol Museum Director Dorothy Olson. - The federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) included a requirement that 10% of each state's allocation had to be spent on transportation enhancements, as well as historic properties along road rights of way and historic tansportation buildings and structures. Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) established an ISTEA advisory committee chaired by the SHPO and including representatives from the state's major preservation, conservation and planning organizations as well as and city and county organizations. The committee developed a plan and criteria for project funding, and with the assistance of technical staff in several state agencies reviewed applications and made recommendations for awards to the DOT Board. Through the first authorized funding period (1993-1998), $83 million went to historic buildings, landscapes and trails across the state, becoming the largest single funding source available for historic preservation. The DOT also funded additional staff in the HPD to assist applicants in complying with review and preservation standards, leading to improved coordination between transportation and preservation agencies-a long way indeed from the early conflicts of the review process. - Georgia DOT Cooperative Agreement initiated 2 positions added (archaeologist, architect); then two more (planner associate, DOT projects coordinator) - Held in Trust: Historic Buildings Owned by the State of Georgia report produced - Georgia Humanities Council grant for African American preservation projects: workshops, resource guide, video/slides - Statewide historic preservation conference was held in Jekyll Island - Centennial Farms program was initiated - African-American Historic Places and Culture: A Preservation Resource Guide for Georgia was produced Sources: -Georgia Historical Quarterly Special Section: Historic Preservation in Georgia on the 30th Anniversary of the State Historic Preservation Office, 1969-1999 - reprinted courtesy of the Georgia Historical Society -HPD History/Chronology by Carole Griffith, November 2002 -Articles and publications posted on HPD's Web site - www.gashpo.org Part 1: 1951-1973, Georgia Historical Commission appeared in the September 2009 edition of Preservation Posts Part 2: 1973-1978, Historic Preservation Section, Office of Planning and Research, Department of Natural Resources appeared in the October 2009 edition of Preservation Posts Part 3: 1978-1986, Historic Preservation Section appeared in the November 2009 edition of Preservation Posts Part 4: 1986-1990, Historic Preservation Section; Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division; Department of Natural Resources appeared in the December 2009 edition of Preservation Posts The Better Streets, Better Cities blog by Dean Baker, Architectural Review Officer A recent streetscape project in Dallas. http://betterstreets.blogspot.com/ Under a cooperative agreement with the Georgia Department Of Transportation (GDOT), Historic Preservation Division (HPD) staff provide technical assistance, conduct site visits, and review transportation projects to ensure compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, which applies to all federally funded, assisted, or licensed undertakings. Visit our Transportation Enhancement (TE) program page for more information. Since the start of TE program in the mid 1990s, HPD has collected images of successfully completed projects. The Better Streets blog was started to provide an outlet for these images as well as to introduce some intriguing concepts not yet included in Georgia TE projects. The projects featured serve as excellent examples of what can be achieved using enhancement funding. HPD welcomes submissions to be included in the blog. For more information, please email Dean Baker at dean.baker@dnr.state.ga.us. Staff Profiles Chris McCabe, Deputy State Archaeologist - Underwater What are your main duties at HPD? I operate the Underwater Archaeology Field Station in Savannah. Our mission is to help manage submerged cultural sites in state-owned waterways, but to do that we really need to understand the resources and the people involved. There are literally thousands of significant maritime sites throughout the state, some we know about and others we're only just finding. We add new information to our database nearly every day, while offering assistance and guidance to residents, consultants, and government agencies alike. How did you get involved in the field of underwater archaeology? I've always had an interest in history, particularly maritime topics, and also a desire to get my hands dirty, to "learn by doing." Many things I've done in the past seem to support this; for instance my time in the Navy, learning to dive, or crewing aboard traditional "tall ships." Underwater archaeology just seemed like a natural next step for me, so I pursued it professionally and fortunately found something that I really enjoy. What do you do on a typical day? There really isn't a typical day at the field station since there's so much to do. I enjoy the variety of projects and people, but I'm never quite sure what the next phone call or email will bring. Some days I'm in the office writing reports or assisting folks on the phone, while others I'm preparing artifacts for a museum, looking into possible looter activity, or out on the water surveying a shipwreck. It's a small shop, so we have to wear a lot of hats. What is one of your favorite aspects of your job? The fact that there's so much potential for underwater archaeology here in Georgia. Many submerged and inter-tidal areas have never been professionally investigated, and I consider these important cultural frontiers for Georgia's maritime heritage. Fortunately we have laws in place to help protect these resources. Whether it's a Native American dugout canoe, colonial wharf site, Jeffersonian gunboat, Civil War blockage runner or World War II shipyard, there are countless Georgia stories yet to be told. Upcoming HPD staff appearances January 14, 2010, 6:30 PM - Gretchen Brock, National Register Coordinator, and Denise Messick, National Register Historian, will hold a public information meeting concerning the proposed Calhoun Downtown Historic District and the National Register of Historic Places. The meeting will be held at the depot in Calhoun. For more information contact Suzanne Roland at 706-602-5570. January 19, 2010, 6:00 PM - Gretchen Brock, National Register Coordinator, and Denise Messick, National Register Historian, will hold a public information meeting concerning the proposed Metter Downtown Historic District and the National Register of Historic Places. The meeting will be held at the depot in Metter. For more information contact Brittany Evans, City of Metter Better Hometown Director, at 912-685-2527. January 21, 2010, 7:00 PM - Ced Dolder, Tax Incentives Coordinator, and Carole Moore, Grants Coordinator, will speak in Hapeville on financial assistance and historic preservation - contact Charlotte Rentz, President of the Hapeville Historical Society, at 404-6692175 or ccrentz@comcast.net March 6, 2010 - Ced Dolder, Tax Incentives Coordinator will speak at the Decatur Old House Fair on historic preservation tax incentives. www.decaturoldhousefair.com Our mailing address is: Georgia Historic Preservation Division Department of Natural Resources 254 Washington Street, SW, Ground Level Atlanta, GA 30334 Add us to your address book Copyright (C) 2009 Georgia Historic Preservation Division All rights reserved.