Preservation posts: the online journal of the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Feb. 2015

Preservation Posts - February 2015 Preservation Posts - February 2015

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In this issue: -Mary Gregory Jewett - "A Champion For Our Past" -Section 106 Success Story: The Avondale Burial Place -Staff Profile: Meg Richardson -Recent News & Announcements -Upcoming Events
Division Director Dr. David Crass will resume his regular column next month.
REMINDER: HPD's office has moved. Our new street address is:
DNR Historic Preservation Division Jewett Center for Historic Preservation 2610 GA Hwy 155, SW Stockbridge, GA 30281
Mary Gregory Jewett - "A Champion For Our Past"
By Leslie Johansen, Compliance Archaeologist
Left: Mary Gregory Jewett. Right: Governor Jimmy Carter proclaims Georgia's first Historic Preservation Week, 1971. L to R: John C. Waters, William R. Mitchell, Jr., the Governor, Marguerite Neel Williams, and Mary Gregory Jewett.
This month the Historic Preservation Division relocated to our newlyconstructed building at Panola Mountain State Park, just east of Atlanta. This move is exciting for us for several reasons. For the first time in the Division's history we have an office built specifically to house our personnel and meet our needs. The new building is located next to the headquarters of our colleagues in the State Parks & Historic Sites Division of DNR, which will further strengthen our close working relationship. Adjoining it is a rehabbed building that serves as short term curation and archaeology lab space. In addition, by moving to our own building at Panola we will be able to invest more resources in our continued efforts to promote the preservation and use of historic places for a better Georgia.
Since this office will be HPD's home for years to come, naming our new building was a very important task. After careful consideration, and with permission from surviving family members, we are proud to be able to dedicate our building to Mary Gregory Jewett, a woman well-known for her love and dedication to the history of Georgia--and, as Margaret Shannon stated in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, a true "champion for our past."
Mary Gregory Jewett was born in 1908 and lived in Decatur, Georgia. She attended Agnes Scott College and graduated from the University of Georgia in 1930 with a BA in journalism, Cum Laude. With her passion for the history of Georgia and her background in state government, Mary became a key player in promoting historic preservation in our state.
She started her career in heritage in 1955 as the Staff Historian for the Georgia Historical Commission, where her father C.E. Gregory was the Executive Secretary and Director. The commission was established in 1951 to promote and increase knowledge and understanding of the history of Georgia. In 1960, after the death of her father, Mary was promoted to the Executive Secretary and Director's position. She headed the Georgia Historical Commission for fourteen years and developed the organization from a staff of three to a staff of 60. Over the years, the Commission acquired, restored, excavated, and developed twenty historic sites and erected 1,800 historical markers throughout the state. Mary enjoyed a strong working relationship with Secretary of State Ben Fortson, who supported her advocacy efforts.
During a 1973 restructuring of state government, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) absorbed the functions carried out by the Georgia Historical Commission. One year later, after overseeing the Commission's transition to the Historic Preservation Section, and with 26 years in state government, Mary Gregory Jewett retired as Georgia's first State Historic Preservation Officer. Mary then turned her attention to co-founding (with Marguerite Williams of Thomasville) The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. The Trust was chartered on April 12, 1973 to promote the preservation and revitalization of Georgia's diverse historic resources and to advocate for their appreciation, protection, and use. Mary served as the Trust's first President and, within a year, the membership increased to 1,000. Today the Trust has become one of the largest statewide, nonprofit preservation organizations in the country.
In 1976, Georgia lost Mary Gregory Jewett to a battle with cancer, but her passion to better understand, protect, and promote Georgia's history continues with the efforts of our office today. It is with great pleasure and respect that we have named our new building and the accompanying archaeology/curation space The Jewett Center for Historic Preservation. More information on Mary Gregory Jewett is available on the Georgia Women of Achievement website.
Section 106 Success Story: The Avondale Burial Place
By Charlie Miller, Outreach Program Manager

New South Associates archaeologist Lain Graham speaks with members of the Barton family, who are likely descendants of those interred at the Avondale Burial Place.
The National Historic Preservation Act turns 50 in 2016. The act and its amendments created many of the programs our office administers for Georgia, including the National Register of Historic Places and the Section 106 review process, which requires the evaluation of the impact of all federally-involved projects on historic properties. In anticipation of this landmark anniversary, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation has curated a collection of especially successful Section 106 projects. One highlighted project led to the rediscovery of the Avondale Burial Place in Bibb County, an African American cemetery that was likely founded as a slave cemetery and was most heavily used during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Section 106 process was initiated when the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) proposed a new interchange in the area of the former McArthur Plantation, south of Macon. During the late stages of planning, a local property owner alerted the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to the possible location of the cemetery. Because the project was well underway, it was decided that relocating the burials was the only realistic option. GDOT, along with contractor New South Associates, worked to recover, analyze, and relocate the site. Their findings have provided valuable information on historic African American burial traditions. The remains of 101 individuals were relocated to a specially prepared section of the Bethel AME Church Cemetery in Macon. The project also resulted in the identification and confirmation of likely descendants, who were closely involved throughout the process. As required by law, HPD was consulted throughout the 106 process, including entering into a formal agreement with GDOT and FHWA to mitigate the effects the project had on this historic resource.
Details on the Avondale Burial Place project can be found on its website as well as in the October 2012 issue of Reflections (PDF). "I Remember, I Believe," a video documentary on the project, can be viewed here. More Section 106 case studies are available here.
Staff Profile: Meg Richardson
Environmental Review Historian

Meg at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia.
Meg holds a BA in History from Wofford College and a Masters in Historic Preservation from the joint program between Clemson and College of Charleston. She started with HPD in March of 2014, and as Environmental Review Historian is responsible for coordinating Environmental Review projects for federal agencies and their applicants, including HUD, USDA, FCC, and FEMA. Before joining HPD, Meg worked on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and in Florida. While in Mississippi she completed Section 106 reviews for housing grants and forgivable loan programs administered by the Mississippi Development Authority/HUD, in addition to survey and written documentation of historic properties in support of the FEMA Public Assistance Program. Meg then worked for a private CRM firm in Florida where she was responsible for completing cultural resource surveys for FDOT projects.
How did you become involved in historic preservation? History and historic buildings have always been a back drop for my life. The communities I grew up in and the buildings that were a part of my daily routine (home, school, church) were all beautiful and cared for historic buildings. At the time, I mainly just thought they were pretty old buildings and I definitely didn't know you could make a career of liking old things. After finishing my history degree at Wofford College in SC, I moved to Charleston to find a job. I knew I didn't want to be a teacher or lawyer, so I worked at Fort Sumter National Monument in a retail position until I found something I wanted to do for a career. I soon found the joint historic preservation masters program offered by the College of Charleston and Clemson University. It seemed like and turned out to be the perfect fit. Since graduation, I've been fortunate enough to work in various areas of the southeast completing Section 106 submittals.
What do you like most about your job? It's hard to nail down what I like the most about the job. I really do enjoy all aspects of it, but I think at the core I really like working with Section 106. I was one of four kids growing up on a little farm so rules and chores were a huge part of my upbringing. This combined with the fact that I am my father's daughter (trust me, he's very into integrity and responsibility) means that I really like the regulatory side of preservation. I enjoy the challenge of marrying historic preservation values with all kinds of different projects, all while helping agencies and applicants fulfill their S106 responsibilities.
What do you do on a typical day? A typical day can encompass a lot of different duties. Reviewing submitted ER forms, research, letters, emails, and phone calls are all a part of the daily routine along with helping and consulting with fellow coworkers about various projects. It can be hectic at times, but I'm a master at making a to-do list!
What do you like to do outside of the office? I like to do a lot of things. As long as I'm in the company of my family and/or friends, I enjoy almost anything whether it's exploring and learning about something new or just hanging out. I will say my time mainly revolves around cooking, eating, drinking, and traveling. I'll occasionally get the chance to read a new book or complete a project for my apartment.
Recent News & Announcements
Buckhead Forest Listed in the National Register of Historic Places (press release - February 12)
Upcoming Events
March 24-26, 2015 - Section 106: An Introduction - Atlanta Learn the basics of project review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. This seminar emphasizes practicalities-how to avoid pitfalls and victimization by myths. Discuss recent changes in regulations and procedures, with an emphasis on coordination with the National Environmental Policy Act and other laws. Seminar held in cooperation with the National Preservation Institute and the Georgia Department of Transportation. Details and registration information are available here.
April 10, 2015 - Georgia National Register Review Board meeting - Atlanta The Georgia National Register Review Board will meet next on April 10, 2015 in the DNR board room at 2 Martin Luther King, Jr., Drive, S.E., Suite 1252, East Tower, Atlanta, Georgia 30334. Please RSVP to Lynn.Speno@dnr.state.ga.us if you are interested in attending.
April 10-11, 2015 - Historic Preservation Commission Training Dahlonega Held in partnership with the Georgia Alliance of Preservation Commissions. Registration is now open! Download the registration packet here (PDF).
www.georgiashpo.org
Title image: A house in the Alberta Drive-Mathieson Drive-West Shadowlawn Avenue Historic District, listed in the National Register on January 27, 2015. Copyright 2015 DNR Historic Preservation Division, All rights reserved.
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