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

In this issue:
- Five Nonprofit Boards Meet in Georgia for Board Development Training - Ongoing Excavations on Sapelo Island - Preservation Postcards: Visits to Two National Heritage Areas in Georgia - Staff Profile: Carole Moore
Division Director Dr. David Crass will resume his regular column next month.
Five Nonprofit Boards Meet in Georgia for Board Development Training
By Jeanne Cyriaque, African American Programs Coordinator
Board development workshop participants at the Acworth Rosenwald School.
The non-profit National Trust for Historic Preservation recognizes that successful boards are critical to the long-term preservation of sites, and has sponsored seven successful board development workshops in the northeast to sustain African American sites. Through a continued partnership with the 1772 Foundation, Georgia was selected for the eighth board development workshop.
Drawing upon the energy of Georgia Rosenwald School preservationists following the National Rosenwald Schools Conference, five nonprofit boards agreed to participate in the training offered by Robert Bull, who also led the northeast workshops. Bull has over 20 years of nonprofit development experience, and is currently interim development director for the National Trust. He tailors each workshop to meet the needs of the participant organizations by one-and-a-half day sessions followed by teleconferences at 30 day intervals.
The City of Acworth hosted the workshop at the Acworth Rosenwald School. Preservation of the school building began when the community partnered with Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society and received a 2008 Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation grant to rehabilitate the school. The City of Acworth obtained the building after the rehabilitation had begun. In phase two of the project, the city completed the project, partnered with professors at Kennesaw State University to develop interpretive panels inside the school, and currently maintains the building as part of the City of Acworth Parks and Recreation Department. The City of Acworth provides use of the building to the African American community association and nearby churches for fellowship and bereavement activities at no cost, and offers the school as a rental facility.
Other participants included the boards of: Barney Colored Elementary School, whose board is the Morven Rosenwald Alumni Association; the Chattahoochee County Historic Preservation Society, stewards of Cusseta Industrial High School; the Fairview and ES Brown Heritage Corporation in Cave Spring; and, the Noble Hill Wheeler Memorial Foundation in Cassville, Bartow County.
Brent Leggs, field officer with the National Trust's Boston field office, Katherine Carey and Tracey Hayes, field staff with the Rosenwald Initiative in the Charleston office, and Georgia Advisor Jeanne Cyriaque, provided additional staffing for the workshop. Leggs, who organized the workshops in the northeast, said "the National Trust has worked to establish regional movements to preserve places important in African American history, and anticipate that all five organizations in attendance will build professional relationships and mentor each other along the way." Robert Bull's rigorous agenda included topics related to identifying board members, roles and responsibilities of board members, best practices for nonprofit board management and successful development planning. Each site developed an action plan during the workshop that will be used as a guide for follow-up interventions.
Ongoing Excavations on Sapelo Island
By Dr. Bryan Tucker, State Archaeologist
University of Kentucky excavtions on Sapelo, Summer 2010
In July, Dr. Richard Jefferies from the University of Kentucky returned to continue his excavations on Sapelo Island, GA. Dr. Jefferies, two graduate students from the University of Indianapolis, and three undergraduates from the University of Kentucky braved the insects and heat for three weeks while excavating middens (what archaeologists call trash piles) just north of last year's excavations.
While the final report on this year's excavations is forthcoming, Dr. Jefferies indicates they encountered Spanish artifacts likely associated with the Mission Santa Catalina de Guale which was located on the island during the 17th century. They also recovered a large sample of well-preserved animal bones and botanical remains and two nearly complete Altamaha vessels used by the island's Native American inhabitants when the Spanish arrived. These artifacts and remains will provide a wealth of information about the diet and environment of the Spanish and Native Americans who lived there. More information will be available after this year's artifacts are cleaned, catalogued, and examined.
More information on archaeology in Georgia is available on our website.
Preservation Postcards: Visits to Two National Heritage Areas in Georgia
By Denise Messick, National Register Historian
The Augusta Canal is one of three National Heritage Areas in Georgia.
Vacationers in Georgia have options that appeal to almost any interest or age group. This month we begin a series of articles to be published quarterly under the title "Preservation Postcards." These articles will explore the traveler's experience in places in our state that have successfully used historic and cultural resources to promote heritage tourism. We will also highlight ways in which the Historic Preservation Division has been involved in efforts to assist these communities through various programs such as the National Register, tax incentives, preservation planning, and archaeology. A copy of the 2010 "Heritage Tourism Handbook: A How-To-Guide for Georgia"(produced in cooperation with the Tourism Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development) is available on our website (PDF).
Georgia is fortunate to have three designated National Heritage Areas; there are currently only 49 in the entire nation. The following paragraphs will focus on two of these - the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area and the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area. A third area, the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, is a large four-state corridor that includes the Georgia coast. It is a possible topic for a future article.
National Heritage Areas (NHAs) are expansive landscapes designated by Congress to recognize places where natural and historic resources combine to form a cohesive entity focusing on important cultural themes or stories. The National Park Service provides financial assistance and technical advice, but does not have ownership, management, or land-use control of NHAs. These are lived-in places where the key ingredient is the partnership of public and private agencies (local, state, and national) to encourage stewardship, leverage funds, promote tourism and recreation, and collaborate on decision-making. NHAs use a community-driven strategy to better utilize the distinctive qualities that make a geographic area unique. While not related to National Register listing, many NHAs include properties that are also part of National Register districts and/or individually listed.
Whether on bike, by foot, or by automobile, the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area is easy to
explore from metro Atlanta. This geological wonder encompasses portions of DeKalb, Henry, and Rockdale counties. Granite formations and rock outcrops harbor rare plant species, such as brilliant red lichens and delicate yellow daisies. Archaeological studies suggest that the area has been inhabited by humans for perhaps 12,000 years. Today's visitors can have a seamless experience of both natural and historic resources. Remnants of rural settlement and farming communities from the 19th and 20th centuries include fields, houses, and barns. Evidence of decades of quarrying activity can be seen in the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, a 2,500-acre DeKalb County park. The distinctive "Tidal Grey" granite was valuable as a building material because of its swirl pattern and structural density.
One of the best ways to cover a lot of territory is on the paved PATH Foundation multi-use (hike/bike) trail, which has several trailheads and extends over 20 miles, with additional segments planned. While peddling through forests and along streams, bicyclists can also see the large barn and fields from the former Vaughter farm, the abandoned homestead and outbuildings of the Lyon family farm, and the National Register-listed Parker House from c.1830, among the oldest buildings in Rockdale County. For those who want a slower pace, Panola Mountain State Park offers periodic ranger-led walks that can be scheduled by appointment. Self-guided hikes in the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve are possible by following rock cairns and unpaved paths through a landscape that was altered in fascinating ways by human efforts to extract the granite. The city of Lithonia and the crossroads community of Klondike (listed in the National Register in 1997) are two of the gateways to the Arabia Mountain area. The nearby Flat Rock community was settled by emancipated slaves and still has a cemetery open to visitors. The Monastery of the Holy Spirit, located south of Conyers, is operated by a Cistercian order that welcomes those seeking a quiet retreat. The monks also operate a gift shop, caf, and garden center.
On the eastern edge of the state in downtown Augusta, the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area was
designated by Congress in 1996. The Augusta Canal is one of the nation's oldest continuously operating industrial canals. Built in 1845 to divert water from the nearby Savannah River, where dangerous shoals made navigation impossible, the canal has been an important source of water, power, and transportation for Augusta. It was first listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 (with later amendments), and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977. During the Civil War, the canal was the site of a Confederate powderworks complex, which still has its tall chimney stack. The canal brought an industrial boom to the city with the opening of several textile mills during the second half of the 19th century. Augusta currently maintains a water pumping station on the canal. Today the Canal Interpretive Center operates out of the historic Enterprise Mill downtown. This former mill was rehabilitated in the late 1990s with the assistance of federal historic preservation tax incentives.
Recreational opportunities abound on and around the Augusta Canal. Accessible from the headgates area, there is a former towpath where draft animals once pulled cargo boats upstream to the locks. This is now a walking and biking trail that extends for about seven miles.
Between the towpath and the Savannah River, wildlife finds refuge in the less-developed northern section of the canal. Additional walking trails, as well as a mountain bike path, begin from other sections of the canal. The canal can also be toured on replica "Petersburg" cargo boats, while interpretive guides explain the historic sites and plants and animals along the way. Since private motorized boats are not allowed, the canal is also a pleasant journey by canoe or kayak. These are only a few of the many ways that visitors can enjoy this important American treasure.
Staff Profile
Carole Moore, Tax Incentives & Grants Coordinator
Carole on the estate of Berkeley Castle in Glouchestershire, England. The Castle is over 800 years old and is the oldest building in England to be inhabited by the same family that built it.
Carole holds a B.A. in English and a M.A. in Heritage Preservation from Georgia State University. She began work at HPD in 1986 as the Information/Education Coordinator, left in 1998 to be a stay-at-home mom, but returned in 2005 as grants coordinator. As grants coordinator, she administers the office's annual federal and state grant programs, as well as any special one-time grants that may come along. She has been involved in special projects at HPD through the years, including various publications, brochures and conferences, but most recently the development and promotion of the historic preservation license plate, which benefits the Georgia Heritage Grant Program. She also represents HPD on the Garden Club of Georgia's Historic Landscape & Garden Grant committee. Beginning last July 1, 2011, she added the coordination of HPD's federal and state Preservation Tax Incentives Program to her list of responsibilities.
How did you become involved in the field of historic preservation? Beginning in my childhood I've always been fascinated by history and historic places. I grew up in San Francisco and was, of course, surrounded by (and actually lived in) that beautiful city's fabulous Victorian-era architecture, but the Spanish influence and role in California's history was also evident everywhere. School field trips included visits to the tiny 1791 Spanish Mission Delores, Golden Gate Park's conservatory, museum, and gardens, as well as concerts in the 1932 Beaux Arts opera house. Vacation trips back to my ancestral roots in southeast Georgia, where I could visit the graves of my great-greatgreat grandparents and stand upon farmland which has been in the family for generations, instilled within me an early appreciation for a sense of place and family heritage. The field of historic preservation, which combines the disciplines of history, architecture, and community planning seemed a natural fit for someone with my background and interests. It was a field I could definitely feel passionate about!
What do you like most about your job? My job duties have definitely helped to enhance the deep and personal connection I had already developed for the state of Georgia. I enjoy being of service to the many Georgians throughout the state who are interested in preserving their community landmarks and historic places. I am able to inform local government officials, non-profit representatives, for-profit developers, and homeowners alike about HPD's federal and state grant and preservation tax incentive programs. I feel very fortunate that my job responsibilities include traveling to many interesting grant and tax projects throughout the state, giving me an appreciation for the diversity and beauty of Georgia's natural resources, as well as the wide range of its historic and cultural resources. The grants and tax programs are a natural fit, with both programs serving as complementary spurs to economic development in communities throughout Georgia. I'm glad to be able to help facilitate that process.
What do you do on a typical day? Because I coordinate two programs, I don't really have a typical day. I answer many phone calls and emails about the tax and grant programs during the week and average about two site visits per month to potential or current tax projects. Site visits to grant projects normally are made at the beginning and end of the grant project cycle. I work closely with HPD's Preservation Architect, Tax Specialist, and Architectural Historian throughout the tax project review process and with various HPD staff for the review of grant projects, depending on the type of project. I believe that promoting awareness of the tax and grants programs as economic incentive tools is important, so I average about one public presentation on the programs per month.
What is one of your favorite projects? I particularly enjoyed coordinating HPD's special grant programs for historic cemeteries. The federally funded Preserve America Historic Cemetery grant program and the statefunded Historic Cemetery Heritage Tourism grant program funded a total of 19 heritage tourism projects and revealed both the vast number of historic cemeteries needing assistance throughout the state and the people and organizations that are dedicated to their preservation! I had the opportunity to travel to those cemeteries which received funding and to assist in coordinating their projects, which included brochures, websites, surveys; preservation plans/condition assessment reports, interpretative tours, teacher curriculums, and even a cemetery workshop. I came to love and respect Georgia's cemeteries as "museums without walls."
What do you like to do outside the office? I guess you could say my profession spills over into my personal life, as I've lived in and rehabilitated two historic houses over the years. Other passions, which are complementary to historic preservation, include gardening and researching my family history! I particularly enjoy visiting historic gardens, house museums, and cemeteries. My favorite TV shows are Antiques Roadshow, Who Do You Think You Are?, and Finding Your Roots. I prefer spending hours at www.ancestry.com instead of the more popular social networking sites! I mainly read biographies, histories, cookbooks, and gardening books, but also enjoy the occasional historical fiction or murder mystery. Scrapbooking is also one of my hobbies. Finally, in an effort to impart awareness of their birth heritage to my Russian-born daughters, I study Russian history, culture, and cuisine, keep up with Russian current events, and have hosted various official Russian visitors in my home through the years.
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: The Dr. Charles and Louise Zattau House in Milledgeville (Baldwin County), listed in the National Register on July 3, 2012.