Preservation posts: the online journal of the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Oct. 2012

In this issue:
- Message from the Director - Georgia Centennial Farm Awards presented to 25 Farms - Tax Program Highlight: The Kriegshaber House, Atlanta - Fort Valley State University Renovates Historic Buildings for New Campus Functions - An Overview of Good to Great and the Social Sectors by Jim Collins - Staff Profile: Josh Headlee - Recent News & Announcements - Upcoming Events
Message from the Director
By Dr. David Crass, Division Director & Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer
It's been a busy month! The Camp Lawton archaeology project yielded another exciting find in October, as archaeologists from HPD, Georgia Southern University and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with assistance from Kennesaw State University, the University of Georgia, the Lamar Institute, and Cypress Cultural Consultants found the remains of the stockade wall, a crucial element in determining the actual layout and site of one of the Civil War's largest Prisoner of War (POW) camps, located at Magnolia Springs State Park. A significant portion of the southern wall of the camp was exposed along with a section of the western wall which enabled archaeologists to project the exact location of the southwestern corner. The discovery was made as the hit PBS television show Time Team America documented what was found and how archaeology helps tell the story of Camp Lawton's history. Sustainability Coordinator Roy Edwards of our staff helped plan and stage "It's Time to Join the Voices--Sustainability and Historic Preservation," a conference sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 office here in Atlanta. Held from October 1618, the agenda included tours, case studies, policy roundtables, and technical discussions. Carl Elefante, of Quinn Evans Architects, gave a provocative plenary address that challenged sustainability specialists and historic preservationists to start talking to each other instead of past each other. On the 20th and 21st, the Archaeology Section under the direction of Deputy State Archaeologist Rachel Black held a public archaeology event at historic Lyon Farm, a nineteenth century plantation in DeKalb County. Descendants of the enslaved Africans who worked the fields were on hand to help excavate, as were Society for Georgia Archaeology members and others. Look for more on this project in an upcoming issue of Preservation Posts. Finally, congratulations to Leigh Burns, our preservation planner & Certified Local Government coordinator. I was pleased to promote Leigh to program manager this month. She'll be tasked with more fully integrating our outreach efforts into other HPD program areas, a role at which I know she will excel.
Georgia Centennial Farm Awards presented to 25 Farms
by Steven Moffson, Architectural Historian and Chair of the Georgia Centennial Farm Committee
2012 recipients at the awards ceremony in Perry. This year 24 farms received Centennial Family Farm awards and one received a Centennial Heritage Farm award at the 19th annual awards ceremony held at the Georgia National Fair and Agricenter in Perry on October 5, 2012. The Centennial Farm program recognizes the importance of family farms in Georgia and honors farms that have remained in the same family for a hundred years or more. Since 1993 when the program began, the program has recognized 426 farms. This year, 25 farms in 22 counties across the state were honored at a reception held for over 200 guests and award recipients. Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Mark Williams, and Georgia Secretary of State Brian P. Kemp presented certificates signed by Governor Deal to the farm families.
This year's winning farms represent the diversity and resourcefulness of farm families in Georgia. The Hendricks Farm at Turner Crossing in Candler County, for example, was purchased in 1882 by Amanda and Nelson Wayne Turner, great-grandparents of current owner Lorine Hendricks. Historically, the farm grew cotton, tobacco, and corn. During the Great Depression, the farm produced items to sell, such as butchered beef, cured hams, and cane syrup. Today, the farm produces cotton and timber. The Echols Jaemor Farm in Hall County began with the purchase of 74 acres in 1912 by T. D. Echols. By 1930, a small roadside fruit stand was built alongside U.S. Highway 23. Today, the farm grows peaches and vegetables and includes one of the largest farm markets in the southeastern United States.
The Phillips Family Farm in Murray County was honored as a Centennial Heritage Farm because it is located in the Pleasant Valley Historic District, which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The Pleasant Valley Historic District is significant because of its intact historic houses and outbuildings and because its farmsteads and landuse patterns represent historic agricultural practices that have remained from the early 1800s to the present day. The Phillips Family Farm grew cotton and corn and raised cattle, hogs, and chickens. Today, the main crops are soybeans and corn.
This year two organic farms were honored as Georgia Centennial Farms. These were the first two organic farms to be so honored. These are White Oak Pastures in Clay County, which produces grass-fed beef and lamb as well as pasture-raised chickens and eggs, and Gilliard Farms in Glynn County, which produces fruits, vegetables, chickens, and hogs. Gilliard Farms was purchased in 1874 by Jupiter Gilliard, the great-great-great grandfather of current owners Mathew and Althea Raiford. Gilliard, who was born into slavery in 1812, purchased land, which has since been farmed by five generations of Gilliards and their heirs. African-American Centennial Farms are rare and Gilliard Farms is only the 10th among 426 Georgia Centennial Farms.
Most of this year's Centennial Farms concentrate production on a few crops or livestock, especially cotton, corn, peanuts, timber, and cattle. Several farms raise small livestock, such as Fordham Brothers Farms in Bleckley County, which raises sheep, the Oliver Farm in Wilcox County, which raises hogs, and the Boring and Brooks Estate in Banks County, which raises hogs and poultry. Triple "C" Farm in Candler County grows pecans in groves that were planted in the 1940s.
For the complete list of Georgia Centennial Farms and for award application information, please visit www.georgiacentennialfarms.org or contact Steven Moffson, Chair of the Georgia Centennial Farm Committee, at 404-651-5906 or steven.moffson@dnr.state.ga.us. The next deadline for applications is May 1st , 2013.
Tax Program Highlight: The Kriegshaber House, Atlanta
By Beth Gibson, Preservation Architect
The Kriegshaber House before (top) and after (bottom) rehabilitation. The historic Victor H. Kriegshaber House on Moreland Avenue in Atlanta received federal and state historic preservation tax incentives as part of a $2 million rehabilitation project that was completed in January of this year. Previously known as the Wrecking Bar, an architectural antiques store, the house has reopened as the Wrecking Bar Brewpub at the lower level and the Marianna, a special events space, at the main floor. The Kriegshaber House was listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and is located in the Inman Park-Moreland Historic District. Victor Hugo Kriegshaber was an Atlanta businessman and philanthropist who was a leader in the cultural and economic development of the city. Constructed in 1900, the house was designed by architect Willis F. Denny II in the Neoclassical Revival Style. (Denny also designed many other Atlanta landmarks, including Rhodes Hall, home of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.) The Kriegshaber House was a single family residence until 1924, after which it was also used commercially. The Centenary Methodist Church met at the house between 1929 and 1940. Later, from 1940 until 1964, the house was the location for Jack Rand's Dance School. And between 1970 and 2005, the building housed the Wrecking Bar, a well-known retail business for historic decorative architectural materials. After years of neglect, a careful and complete rehabilitation was begun in 2010 by the house's new owners. The meticulous rehabilitation is noteworthy. The detailed scope of work included: restoring the central axis floor plan and the oval-shaped foyer, which had been altered during previous renovations; extensive preservation of historic features and finishes, including the slate roof, wood siding, windows, doors, columns, railings, plaster, beadboard, and terra-cotta fireplace details; restoring missing features, such as the decorative leaded-glass transoms above the windows; adding a wheelchair lift to meet ADA; and updating building systems (electrical, plumbing, and HVAC). The unfinished basement was also rehabilitated into usable space for the new brewpub and the existing warehouse addition, circa 1970, was retained to house the new brewery. The completed rehabilitation of the Kriegshaber House represents a significant accomplishment in historic preservation and is an important contribution to the development of the Inman Park-Moreland area of intown Atlanta. Regarding the project, Atlanta City Council Member Kwanza Hall was quoted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "This project will definitely help us rejuvenate the Moreland Avenue corridor." More information on historic preservation tax incentives in Georgia is available on our website.
Fort Valley State University Renovates Historic Buildings for New Campus Functions
By Jeanne Cyriaque, African American Programs Coordinator
University President Larry E. Rivers and faculty and students celebrate the repurposing of Miller Hall for classrooms and faculty offices. It is one of a series of International Style buildings that
were constructed as the campus student population increased during the 1960s. Fort Valley State University (FVSU) is one of the colleges in the University System of Georgia (USG) that receives administrative oversight and planning assistance from the Board of Regents (BOR). The campus was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the Fort Valley State College Historic District in 2000. FVSU is one of three land-grant campuses in the USG that are Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Each university in the USG develops a Campus Historic Preservation Plan (CHPP) that provides historic context for the institution and its development. These plans identify and evaluate the buildings and landscapes that collectively form unique cultural resources for each institution and provide recommendations for their use as the institutions grow over time. Additionally, the FVSU preservation plan provides a blueprint for determining which buildings are rehabilitated and/or repurposed to strengthen the historic core of the campus while determining the placement of new buildings that complement the institution's growth. The Fort Valley State University CHPP was developed by Clement & Wynn Program Managers, who assembled a team of architects, engineers, archaeologists, and landscape architects. The CHHP identified five periods of development in the evolution of the university and assessed the condition of buildings and their associated landscapes while presenting treatment plans for their preservation.
FVSU was founded in 1895 by a biracial group of citizens who petitioned the Georgia Superior Court to establish the school. During the "Institutional Beginnings" period of development, from 1895-1913, the school was chartered as Fort Valley High and Industrial School. The first principal, John Davison, sought philanthropy to construct the initial buildings because the school was essentially a private school for African Americans. He received financial support from the General Education Board, George Foster Peabody, and Anna T. Jeanes while local whites purchased land around the school and surrounding neighborhood. Additionally, some of the school's initial buildings were constructed through student labor under the supervision of Gabriel Miller, a Tuskegee-trained carpenter.
One of the surviving buildings from this period that combined philanthropic aid and student labor was Huntington Hall. The building, constructed in 1908, was named in honor of Collis P. Huntington, one of the financiers who built the first transcontinental railroad in the United States. When he died, his widow, Arabella Huntington, donated $25,000 from his estate for the construction of a girls' dormitory. Gabriel Miller supervised the students' construction of the three-story, brick structure. Today, Huntington Hall is one of 11 buildings that comprise the Fort Valley State College Historic District and is the only surviving building that
was constructed with student labor. Thus, its long-term preservation was recommended in the CHPP as the oldest building on the campus in continuous use.
Since Fort Valley State University is a HBCU, it received a National Park Service grant that aids in the preservation of historic buildings on these campuses. This funding assisted FVSU in rehabilitating Huntington Hall. J.W. Robinson & Associates, an Atlanta architectural firm, developed construction plans and administered structural stabilization and rehabilitation in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with consultation from Historic Preservation Division (HPD) and BOR staff. Today, Huntington Hall has been repurposed, providing offices for President Larry E. Rivers and the Office of External Affairs. The building was rededicated in the spring of 2012.
The second era in FVSU's development was the "American Church Institute" period, encompassing 1913-1939, the years when the school's administrator was Henry Alexander Hunt. The Hunt era was characterized by continued philanthropy and partnerships with the American Church Institute of the Protestant Episcopal Church. Members of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta held a majority on the school's board of trustees during this period. Philanthropists Andrew Carnegie, George Foster Peabody, and Julius Rosenwald assisted the school with new construction that added academic/vocational buildings and a library.
By 1928, Hunt emphasized teacher training and vocational education in the school's curriculum and the school gained junior college status. Thus, the following year, 1929, marked a shift in the school's name to the Fort Valley Normal and Industrial School. This expansion led to the need for additional student dormitories. Hunt received funds from the Episcopal Diocese in Ohio to construct a dormitory.
Ohio Hall was completed in 1930 by Aiken and Faulkner, an African American Atlanta-based construction firm. The architects for the building were Ludlow and Peabody of New York, who designed several campus buildings in the historic quadrangle. Ohio Hall was
constructed as a brick-and-stone building in a Georgian Revival style and was located just south of the historic quadrangle's buildings. Ohio Hall was significant to FVSU's development, because its construction marked the transition of the school from a high school to a college. Additionally, Ohio Hall was built in the direction of future campus development.
The CHPP identified many deficiencies that were necessary to rehabilitate Ohio Hall. The building had been vacant since the 1980s and suffered from roof deterioration, drainage problems, outdated mechanical systems, missing windows, and severe interior challenges. FVSU assembled a team of firms specializing in these areas to rehabilitate the building. Harris & Smith were the program managers. Surber Barber Choate & Hertlein Architects designed the plans and building additions, making the structure ADA compatible. Hillsman Interior Planning and Design focused on interior issues while Chris R. Sheridan Construction Company served as the general contractor. Ohio Hall was repurposed as an honors student dormitory and was dedicated in August 2012.
The third period of development in the school's history, from 1939-1965, was called the "Expansion of Fort Valley State College." At the beginning of this era, Horace Mann Bond was president. He led the college during and after World War II, focusing on expansion of the curriculum. During Bond's term, degrees were offered in home economics and agriculture. Cornelius V. Troup was Fort Valley's next president, and student enrollment increased as did the need for additional buildings.
The Isaac Miller Science building was constructed in 1963. Miller was one of the African American founders of the school who had transitioned from enslavement to a successful farmer/businessman. Along with several others on campus, the building was designed in the International Style, reflecting the growth south of the historic quadrangle. The CHPP identified this building as potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places when it reaches the 50-year mark. Its renovation focused on updating mechanical systems, developing a new use for outdated science laboratories, and repurposing the building for 21st-century needs.
The Miller building was rededicated along with Ohio Hall in August 2012. Its renovation focused on retaining character-defining exterior design elements unique to the International Style such as the glass curtain wall at the main entrance, the linear appearance of the windows, and the scale and massing of the two wings. Interior renovations included modernization of the classrooms and establishment of faculty offices.
These are three examples of how Fort Valley State University has implemented its Campus Historic Preservation Plan and found new uses for historic buildings that were instrumental in the college's development from a high school for African Americans to a Georgia statesupported land grant university today.
Additional information about Fort Valley State University and its CHHP is available in the December 2010 issue of Reflections or on the FVSU website.
An Overview of Good to Great and the Social Sectors by Jim Collins
By Dr. David Crass, Division Director & Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer
As a division director, I am constantly on the lookout for books and articles that force me to think about leadership in new ways. Recently a monograph by business author Jim Collins came to my attention. Collins is a teacher and author who began his career at Stanford University Business School, and then founded a research institute in Boulder, Colorado that is dedicated to investigating excellence in the business world. A prolific writer, his 2001 volume Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't sold over four million copies, was on the U. S. Coast Guard Commandant's Reading List, and continues to be a standard work for business leaders who want to transform their companies. Collins' definition of "great" is financial performance multiples better than the market, and his basic finding after investigating over 1,400 such companies is that while there are a constellation of characteristics that typify "great" companies, the primary marker is a laser focus on their core competencies and focus on excellence and discipline. In 2005 Collins authored a provocatively titled monograph meant to accompany Good to Great..., entitled Good to Great and the Social Sectors: Why Business Thinking is Not the Answer. In it, he attempts to bridge his arguments from the business world to the nongovernmental organization (NGO)/public agency realm. Collins premises his thesis on the contention that "business thinking" is not the answer for public sector agencies and NGO's because most businesses fall somewhere between mediocre and good. Few are great. Instead, Collins observes (correctly) that discipline in and of itself is not a business concept - it is a principle of greatness. Collins identifies five principles that are critical to great social sector organizations. These include:
Defining "Great" - that is, how do you measure success or failure, which is much more difficult in public agencies and non-profits than it is in a business context. Level 5 Leadership - level five leaders are ambitious first and foremost for the cause, and have the will to do whatever it takes to make good on that ambition. First Who - hiring and retaining self-motivated and self-disciplined people and putting them in the right seat. The Hedgehog Concept - focusing on what you are deeply passionate about, what you can be the best at, and your resource engine (which consists of time, money, and brand). Turning the Wheel - building momentum by building the brand I was particularly struck by Collins' enunciation of the "Stockdale Paradox." Admiral James Stockdale was a POW for 8 years in Vietnam, during which time he was repeatedly tortured. Stockdale (who was Ross Perot's vice-presidential running mate in 1992) was asked by Collins what it was that marked prisoners who didn't get home. Stockdale said "...they were the ones who said, 'We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, 'We're going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart...this is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end - which you can never afford to lose - with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be."
Collins' books are not without fault. Some of his illustrations seem simplistic. More tellingly, some of the companies he identified in 2001 as "great," like Wells Fargo and Bank of America, received government support as part of the TARP bailout. Others, like A&P and Circuit City, went bankrupt. Clearly, as they say in the investment business, past performance is no guarantee of future results. Nonetheless, for those of us in the government or NGO leadership business, his insights - particularly on measuring performance, making hiring and retention decisions, and the "Stockdale Paradox" - can be helpful as we think through the challenges we face.
Staff Profile
Josh Headlee, Senior Preservation Technician
Josh began working for DNR's State Parks and Historic Sites Division in May 1999. He is responsible for overall hands-on work of artifacts throughout the parks and historic sites. In addition, he constructs minor exhibit cases and mounts for use in the historic sites museums. Josh also advises and educates site staff on pest management and environmental monitoring, as well as general preservation and collections management procedures. He is also DNR's contact for Historical Markers. Before being employed by DNR, he worked with the Civil War collection at Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. A native of southern Illinois, Josh holds a B.S. in Historic Preservation (Museum Studies) from Southeast Missouri State University.
How did you become involved in your field? Two things sparked my interest in history and artifact work in particular. First, I remember at about eight years old or so I went with my family to the Gateway Arch National Memorial, in St. Louis, Mo. As we were going through the museum at the base of the arch, I was rudely reminded by one of the docents "Don't touch anything!". Even though I honestly hadn't planned on touching anything, I acknowledged her comment; but later thought that someone had to touch the objects in the museum. They didn't just appear there. That's how I began to wonder who it was that got to put the artifacts on display? Why did they get to "touch" stuff but I couldn't? Furthermore, who got to choose which objects were worth "touching" to be put on display?
The second reason that I got into the field is interest in my own history. I'm originally from Illinois (Land of Lincoln) and it peaked my interest to learn that I had a number of ancestors that fought during the Civil War, including a couple that fought for the Confederacy. In fact, at the battle of Corinth, Mississippi I probably had ancestors that aimed their guns directly at each other. The more I researched it the more interested I became. After years of re-enacting, I found myself more and more drawn to the artifacts from the war and how best to preserve them. While I have a fondness for all history, it's American military and presidential history that most fascinate me.
What do you do on a typical day? I spend most of my time working on various artifacts or museum projects from sites all over the state. Most of the historic sites we work with are associated with the State Parks and Historic Sites Division of DNR. I work on many types of objects. Through both formal and informal education, I've tried to develop a well-rounded knowledge on how to treat most types of materials (i.e. paper, textiles, wood, metal, etc.). I still spend a good deal of time researching or pouring over old notes on how best to treat artifacts. Some objects are too delicate or complex for us to treat so we arrange for them to be conserved by outside conservators.
In the museum world we typically consider "preservation" as changing the environment that the artifacts are in to lengthen their existence, as opposed to direct work on artifacts. So I spend a lot of my time monitoring and tweaking the environmental conditions (i.e. climate control, pollution control, pest control, lighting, etc.) in the museums and artifact storage areas.
I also construct small exhibit cases and mounts for the museums and install the objects on display at our sites. Essentially, I've become one of those people who get to "touch" the objects and put them on display.
What do you like best about your job? It truly is an honor to get to work with the artifacts that I get to work on every day. The best part of my job is never knowing what I'll be working on next. One time it might be a pre-Colombian archaeological find; the next time it might be a Civil War uniform, a tool used by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, or a beautiful piece of furniture from an antebellum home.
I'm equally grateful to have gotten to meet and work with the people that my profession has allowed me to meet. I love getting to travel to the historic sites throughout the state, and meet and work with great folks.
Recent News & Announcements
Sardis Methodist Church and Cemetery Listed in the National Register of Historic Places The Sardis Methodist Church and Cemetery, located at 3725 Powers Ferry Road NW, Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on October 9, 2012. The church and cemetery (now known as Sardis United Methodist Church) are located on a relatively quiet five-acre site in the middle of a sprawling urban area of northern Atlanta known as Buckhead. The Buckhead Heritage Society sponsored the nomination and prepared the nomination materials, with the assistance of the owners.
Georgia's Centennial Farms honored at Georgia National Fair The 2012 Georgia Centennial Farm Awards was held on Friday, October 5, 2012, at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia. The ceremony began with a reception followed by the awards presentation. The awards were presented by Georgia Centennial Farms Committee Chair Steven Moffson. Opening remarks were given by: Director Dr. David Crass, Historic Preservation Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources; Director Randy Moore, Georgia National Fair; Commissioner Gary Black, Georgia Department of Agriculture; Commissioner Mark Williams, Georgia Department of Natural Resources; and Secretary of State Brian Kemp.
Upcoming Events
November 9, 2012 - Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission quarterly meeting - Kingsland Georgia will host the quarterly meeting of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission in Kingsland on Friday, November 9th. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. at O.F. Edwards North Center Complex, 531 North Lee Street. The public is invited. The commission has recently submitted its management plan to the National Park Service for review. Contact Jeanne Cyriaque for more information - 404-656-4768 or jeanne.cyriaque@dnr.state.ga.us.
December 6-7, 2012 - Historic Tax Credit Training - Savannah Co-sponsored by HPD, this training covers the ins and outs of historic preservation tax credits in Georgia. Details and registration information are available at http://www.myhsf.org/advocacy - education/lectures- and - workshops/.
Please send your comments or suggestions to charlie.miller@dnr.state.ga.us.
Not a member? Subscribe now! 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) 2012 Georgia Historic Preservation Division All rights reserved. Title image: Outbuildings at the E.S. Dorminy Home Place and Farm (Berrien County), a 2012 Centennial Family Farm.