Preservation posts: the online journal of the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, 2016 July

Preservation Posts, July 2016 View email in your browser

Message from the Director Ga. NR Review Board Meeting Archaeology during the WPA Staff Profile: Melissa Jest News and Upcoming Events

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A Message from the Director
by: Dr. David Crass, david.crass@dnr.ga.gov Division Director & Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer
Sometimes, our work at HPD is pretty high profile -- like Ponce City Market -- and sometimes it is nearly invisible to the world outside our office. Such is the case with our environmental review and tax program databases.
I noted back in our February issue of Preservation Posts that HPD began rebuilding our tax incentive and environmental review databases about two years ago, when the dBase II models we were using were finally (and mercifully) rendered inoperable by new operating software deployed across state government. Dr. Bryan Tucker, State Archaeologist, took on the task of leading this effort, and the new database was successfully launched earlier this year.
Bryan is now getting ready to launch Phase II of the project, which will focus on reporting functions and other enhancements. We are also beginning to work on scoping a scanning project that will allow us to convert many of our paper records to electronic form, as well as development of a web interface for project submissions.
I'm proud of the work our environmental review and tax folks have done so far on this project, and I look forward to project completion several years down the road.
HPD and DNR's Office of Engineering and Construction Services are also kicking off a new program with the start of state fiscal year 2017. This year, for the first time, HPD's budget received state bond monies to apply to the many historic resources for which our land-managing divisions are responsible. The funds will be used to develop conditions assessments under HPD direction so that our sister divisions can more effectively anticipate and prioritize maintenance needs. I'm truly excited and grateful for this new opportunity, which is going to leverage our strengths to better manage these resources.
The Georgia House of Representatives passed a resolution during the last session to form a Historic Preservation Study Committee, and both Parks, Recreation, and Historic Sites Division and HPD are preparing for the first meeting of that group as this column is being written. While agenda details are still being worked out, I look forward to our conversation about how historic resources are managed under DNR's stewardship, and I will keep our readers posted as the process moves forward.

Little Ocmulgee State Park was the host of a DNR leadership workshop in June.
I also noted back in February that I was working with the Commissioner's Office to develop leadership training for the department. Our two goals for the DNR Leadership Academy are to prepare students for leadership positions (succession planning) and to break down the silos that exist in every organization. I'm happy to report that we have now completed two of our five three-day sessions. We have a wonderful class of smart, articulate and motivated students from all six DNR divisions who are being exposed to a combination of leadership concepts, as well as operational topics like State Budget 101. Just as importantly, the class is gelling as a group, with lots of new relationships being built across organizational lines. While we have already identified some things that we will change for next year, our inaugural class is well on its way, and I'm prouder than ever to work with such high-caliber colleagues. Finally, I'm thrilled to welcome Melissa Jest to HPD! Melissa joined HPD this month as the African American Program Coordinator. She also serves as liaison to the Georgia African American Preservation Network (GAAHPN). Melissa assists individuals and communities in identifying and preserving African American sites and properties significant to Georgia's heritage. She also coordinates the production of the Reflections quarterly newsletter, and develops other outreach strategies to initiate, promote and increase engagement in historic preservation activities and programs in communities across the state. Melissa brings 15 years of outreach experience, having worked with now-Georgia Trust CEO Mark McDonald when he was the CEO of Historic Savannah Foundation, as well as in Philadelphia, Pa., and with a nation-wide program at the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Florida and a Masters in Urban Studies from Savannah State University.
Georgia NR Review Board Meeting
- A Preview and Pop Quiz for the Upcoming National Register Meeting
by: Lynn Speno National Register Specialist
The Georgia Historic Preservation Division will host the semi-annual meeting of the Georgia National Register Review Board on Friday, August 26. The meeting will take place at HPD's office, at Panola Mountain State Park. (Directions) The meeting is an important step in the multi-phase process that leads to National Register listing. HPD staff will present information about each of the proposed nominations, including the historical background and significance of each property or district. Board members have an opportunity to comment and ask questions before voting on whether the resource meets applicable National Register criteria. Following approval by the board, HPD staff will finalize each nomination before sending it to the National Park Service for listing. For more detailed information about the National Register of Historic Places nomination process in Georgia, please visit our website. Short summaries of each proposed nomination, along with the complete Review Board agenda, are also available on the HPD website. Seating is limited, so if you plan to attend, please contact Lynn Speno at lynn.speno@dnr.ga.gov.
In a tribute to our recently retired National Register historian, Denise Messick, this article follows her pop quiz tradition to test your preservation knowledge. Denise retired in May, after 14 years at HPD. We wish her well in her next endeavors! Let's get started . . . (Answers at bottom of the article)
1. This small commercial strip is located just outside the Grant Park Historic District, in Atlanta. It was recently rehabilitated using state tax incentives for rehabilitation. Which of the following statements would be true?
A. The building must retain its grey exterior paint color for 10 years. B. The property will have its property taxes frozen for eight years. C. The lessee cannot put signs in the window.

2. The architectural style of this former Greyhound bus terminal in Savannah can best be described as:
A. Streamline Moderne B. Art Deco C. International

3. The house type of this recently rehabilitated Craftsman-style house in Atlanta is: A. American Small House B. Bungalow C. Queen Anne Cottage
4. The Northcrest neighborhood in DeKalb County has a large number of mid-20th century house types and styles not commonly found in the metro Atlanta area. The house type seen here is:
A. Ranch house B. Split foyer C. Split level

5. The historic Sears, Roebuck & Co. building, now known as Ponce City Market, in Midtown Atlanta is one of the largest tax rehabilitation projects in the country. At the time the building was constructed in 1926, it was likely the largest retail building in Atlanta. The building exhibits elements of which revival style?
A. Italian Renaissance B. Mediterranean C. Tudor
6. In addition to this house on Buena Vista Road in Augusta, Georgia-born architect Willis Irvin designed which of the following buildings in Augusta?
A. Bon Air Hotel B. Richmond County Jail C. Forest Hills Hotel D. All of the above
7. This proposed historic district is located in a Georgia city that is home to Paine College, a National Heritage Area, a major golf tournament, and several historic neighborhoods. What is the name of this city?
A. Milledgeville B. Athens C. Augusta D. Columbus
8. Formerly hidden under a jungle of kudzu, this former African American school building in Cave Spring is undergoing stabilization. Which of the following are true about National Register eligibility?
A. The resource must be in pristine condition to be nominated. B. A resource can be eligible for listing under two National Register Criteria. C. Eligibility of properties must be considered within their historic context.

9. Carver Village, a neighborhood located on the west side of downtown Savannah, was developed beginning in 1947. A housing shortage for returning veterans was one of the many critical needs brought about by the end of World War II. This housing shortage was commonly relieved by which types of houses?
A. American Small Houses B. Ranch houses C. Apartment buildings D. All of the above
10. The Medical Arts Building, located on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, was designed by G. Lloyd Preacher and completed in 1927. Preacher was a well-known Atlanta architect who practiced throughout the Southeast. The style of this building can best be described as:
A. Renaissance Revival B. French Renaissance C. Neoclassical Revival
Answers - 1: B, 2: A, 3: B, 4: C, 5: A, 6: D, 7: C, 8: B and C, 9: D, 10: C
Archaeology during the WPA
- Artifact Bags from the Deptford Site

by: Sarah Love, sarah.love@dnr.ga.gov Archaeology Outreach Coordinator
In response to the Great Depression of the 1930s, Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal was passed by Congress to provide relief, recovery, and reform to the United States during a time of major economic recession. The New Deal included a number of programs with specific goals, and one program in particular, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), was instrumental in providing work relief to the nation's poor and unemployed.
Beginning in 1935, the WPA employed millions of workers ranging from unskilled laborers for public works projects, to trained artists, writers, and actors for art and media projects. A significant portion of public works projects included large-scale excavation of archaeological sites in the southeastern United States. Archaeological projects under the WPA were not centrally governed or managed from Washington. While the lack of centralized management caused initial complications, it also inspired the creation of WPA Operating Procedure No. 0-4, which governed the excavation and restoration programs for archaeological sites and provided consulting supervision from the National Park Service. provided consulting supervision from the National Park Service.
WPA archaeologists implemented systematic excavation methods that contributed significantly to our understanding of past cultures. Because these excavations were performed systematically, early archaeologists in the Southeast were able to define time periods and cultural phases based on shifts in ceramic styles. One of the most famous WPA period archaeological sites is the Deptford site, located near the Georgia coast.
Savannah Sugar Refinery bag found at the Deptford Site
The Deptford site (9CH2), a large shell midden located along the Savannah River, produced pottery sherds with check stamped, simple stamped and plain finishes that dated to the Middle Woodland time period. Deptford style pottery is distinguished from earlier ceramic styles by the inclusion of sand tempering over fiber tempering, typical of the Late Archaic period. This time period was also defined by an increase in political complexity, long term settlement, the use of burial mounds, and an increased importance of cultigens in daily life. Deptford phase sites, named for the WPA-excavated Deptford site, are not restricted to the Georgia coast. These sites stretch along the Coastal Plain of modern day Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
One absolutely fascinating aspect of our archaeological history is that the artifacts recovered from the Deptford site are still curated in the bags used during the 1930s WPA-era excavation. Rather than simply being transferred to the polyethylene zip-lock bags we use today, the Deptford artifacts have been kept in their original sugar and bologna sacks, and then curated in more modern materials. The general time frame used to determine whether a site or object is historic is 50 years. Because it has been between 70 to 80 years since these artifacts were recovered, the original bags used during artifact collection at the Deptford site now qualify as historic. In a sense, the bags could be considered artifacts from the history of our own subfield, and aid in our understanding of how the study of archaeology has developed in the United States.
At first glance, it is apparent that the artifact sacks were collected from companies convenient to the excavation site. These companies include Swift & Company, Neptunes, Dixie Crystals, and the Old Fort Provision Co., and are located from Savannah, Ga. to Ridgeland, S.C. The Dixie Crystals bag still contains text indicating it came from Port Wentworth, the site of the Savannah Sugar Refinery explosion in 2008. While we have a well-developed historical context for WPA-era archaeology, it is interesting to have this glimpse into the past, and see the tools our predecessors used during some of the earliest large-scale excavations in the United States.
Staff Profile: Melissa Jest
- African American Program Coordinator

Melissa joined Georgia HPD in July 2016 as the African American Program Coordinator. She also serves as liaison to the Georgia African American Preservation Network (GAAHPN). In her role, Melissa assists individuals and communities in identifying and preserving African American sites and properties significant to Georgia's heritage. She also coordinates the production of the Reflections quarterly newsletter, and develops other outreach strategies to initiate, promote and increase engagement in historic preservation activities and programs in communities across the state. Melissa brings 15 years of outreach experience, having worked in Savannah, Ga., Philadelphia, Pa., and with a national-level program at the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C. She holds a Bachelors in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Florida and a Masters in Urban Studies from Savannah State University.
* How did you become involved with historic preservation?
After living in New York City for several years, my mother relocated us back to my native Savannah, Ga. and bought a circa-1910 fixer-upper. My two sisters and I were her work crew. We learned to scrap wood, patch plaster, and even apply roofing tar. Along with this early rehab experience, I had the joy of playing along Savannah's streets and lanes as neighbors watched (and sometimes shared stern direction correction) from their front porches. I quickly realized that these great, old homes not only added to Savannah's aesthetic charm, they helped make us a community.
* What do you like most about your job?
Site visits and field work top the list for me. It gives me the opportunity to literally meet people where they live, and see the historic places they value up close. I believe there is power in standing in a place and experiencing that space together. In my 15 years of preservation outreach, I have found people to be more open and amenable when they are able to show you the resource and share their stories face to face.
* What do you like to do outside of the office?
I am a recent Yoga convert. Having tried hatha, yin, and Bikram yoga, I can say that I am better when I have done some unified stretching and breathing that day. I look forward to exploring Panola State Park this fall, in search of a nice spot to re-energize mind, body and soul.
* If you had one preservation superpower, what would it be??
I would want the power to heal. Specifically, I would want to be able to heal the negative perceptions and memories some attach to a place or resource. I think such healing would allow more people to see the value of a resource to us and our social, economic and environment future together.
Recent News & Announcements
- Historic Landscape & Garden Grant Program Accepting Applications The Garden Club of Georgia is accepting applications for its 2016 Historic Landscape and Garden Grant Program, which provides funds for the preservation and restoration of Georgia's historic gardens and landscapes. Non-profit organizations, local governments, and local garden clubs are eligible to apply for the 50/50 matching grant in amounts up to $3,000. Grants will be awarded only to projects that are historically documented, and projects must be completed within one year. Applicants must be a local government, nonprofit organization, garden club or civic organization. Eligible sites must be at least 50 years old and open to the public. Detailed guidelines and the one-page application may be found at the Garden Club of Georgia's website. The deadline for submission is August 1, 2016.
- Decatur Heights-Glennwood Estates-Sycamore Street Historic District Listed in the NRHP (Press Release - July 22)
Upcoming Events
November 2016 - HPC Training - Columbus, Ga. The Georgia Historic Preservation Division will host Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) training Nov. 4-5, 2016 at W.C. Bradley in Columbus, Ga. The training is open to HPC members, government officials, planners, historic preservation architects, attorneys, as well as other preservation professionals and students. More information can be found on the HPD website.
November 2016 - Fairview School Anniversary Celebration - Cave Spring The Fairview Brown Heritage Corporation will host an event to commemorate the 92nd anniversary of the Fairview Rosenwald School. This Rosenwald School was built in 1924, with the help of the community and organizations such as the Julius Rosenwald Fund. There will be events held Nov. 10-12 to celebrate; the festivities will begin with a Symposium at Berry College, where area college students and faculty will explore the footprints of two titans, Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington. The weekend will culminate with the Northwest Georgia premiere of the recently released film, "Rosenwald," on Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Historic Desoto Theatre (Patron's cocktail hour 6 p.m./curtains roll up at 7 p.m.), in Downtown Rome. Aviva Kempner, the award-winning film maker of "Rosenwald," will be on hand to share her fascinating research about the extraordinary life of Julius Rosenwald and his close friend, Booker T. Washington. Descendants of the Rosenwald and Washington families will be in attendance to share their personal stories about their ancestors. The public is invited to attend these events. For more information, contact the Fairview Brown Heritage Corporation at 706-232-0975 or heritageweekend@yahoo.com.
Would you like to see an event listed? Email jeff.harrison@dnr.ga.gov
Want to Contribute?
Submit a Guest Article
Preservation Posts is published to inform the public about historic preservation issues and developments from the perspective of the SHPO. In keeping with that purpose, HPD has inaugurated a new policy of occasionally soliciting guest articles that are directly related to our statutorily mandated programs. Please note that we do not publish opinion pieces. We also retain editorial control as well as the right to reject any submission.
To pitch or submit a piece, or ask questions concerning an idea, email HPD Public Affairs Coordinator Jeff Harrison at jeff.harrison@dnr.ga.gov.
Title Image: Archaeologists with HPD spent a day, recently, working with Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area to locate the foundations of the original, historic Flat Rock Community Church (1870), in Lithonia.
Copyright 2016 DNR Historic Preservation Division, All rights reserved.
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