A Program of the Historic Preservation Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
May 2001
PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP RECLAIMS THE ALBANY THEATRE
Volume I, No. 3
continued on page 2
The Albany Theatre auditorium was the largest performing arts facility in
southwest Georgia. The auditorium featured stage capacity for Broadway
productions and an orchestra pit equipped with a Robert Morton ebony
lacquer pipe organ. Photo courtesy of Oglethorpe Development Group
The Albany Theatre marquee at night.
Farkas was a Jewish immigrant who became a prominent
citizen in Albany following the Civil War. He established a livery
stable and farm implement business on the land that eventually
became the site of the Albany Theatre. Adolph Gortakowsky
developed the theatre concept while leasing land from Farkas. He
submitted his plan to the Farkas estate, who commissioned architect
Roy A. Benjamin to design the theatre. Benjamin was the founder
of Kemp, Bunch and Jackson. He built the Albany theatre in
Classical Revival style, with steel beam construction, the first
building of this type erected in the city. Walter Taylor is Benjamin’s
successor and current chairman and CEO of KBJ Architects, now
The Albany Theatre, built circa 1927, was southwest Georgia’s
leading movie house and center for the performing arts. With
a seating capacity of 2,000, the auditorium provided
entertainment for Albany residents in Dougherty and surrounding
counties. During segregation,
African Americans were
admitted to the theatre by a
separate colored entrance,
and viewed stage shows and
movies from the crow’s nest,
a corner section in the upper
balcony. The Albany Theatre
will return to its glory as a
premier performing arts center
for the city through a public/
private partnership initiated by
a minority development firm.
James R. Miller is the African American founder and president of
Oglethorpe Development Group, incorporated in 1996. His
company purchased this historical theatre from the estate of
Samuel Farkas.
In 1927, the Albany Theatre, Dougherty County, was the cornerstone of
downtown development. Photo courtesy of Oglethorpe Development Group
Friends of the Albany Theatre (FATH), incorporated in
1998, is the nonprofit organization that raises funds for the
rehabilitation costs required to return it to public use by the
community. FATH obtained a partnership agreement with
Oglethorpe Development Group in May 2000 that provides first
rights to a long-term lease. The partnership with FATH will ensure
eligibility for tax incentives. FATH has successfully implemented
a corporate fundraising strategy. The FATH board of directors has
implemented a five-year visible benefit campaign for corporate
donors. Benefits include lobby plaques, VIP marquee and seat
dedications. Individuals donating $350 are recognized with their
names on a brass plate adorning a seat. Corporations donating
$5,500 are recognized with brass plates identifying the company
on a corporate row. Corporate donors include: Procter & Gamble,
Target Stores, Jackson’s Janitorial Services, the Ramada Inn of
Albany, Shiloh Baptist Church, and WFXL-TV FOX31. Easter
Seals-Southern Georgia featured a replica of the Albany Theatre as
a holiday tree ornament to promote the theatre’s place in the history
of Albany. The Albany-Dougherty Historic Preservation
Commission has recently provided a $36,000 Community
Development Block Grant for roof repairs needed in the auditorium.
Oglethorpe Development Group contacted Charlotte
Frazier, chair of the Georgia African American Historic Preservation
Network, to obtain information about the process for nominating
the property to the National Register. Frazier referred ODG to the
National Register Unit of the Historic Preservation Division, and a
Historic Property Information Form was submitted to HPD in May
2000. The property meets the National Register criteria and will
be nominated pending certification of completed rehabilitation
work. The Albany Theatre is a federal and state tax project, and
the property must be listed in the National Register within 30 months
following the time that the tax credit is taken.
Rehabilitation of the Albany Theatre will be implemented
in two phases. Phase I will focus on the 10,000 sq. ft. retail space.
Miller envisions a lunch/dinner restaurant and a fast food venue on
the first floor, originally occupied by retail shops. Plans for the
second floor include executive office suites, conference space, and
a roof garden. The auditorium will be restored in Phase II. The
former colored entrance will lead to VIP seating. When
completed, the Albany Theatre will be the largest in southwest
Georgia, rivaling the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. Though this process
is both lengthy and challenging, Oglethorpe Development Group,
Inc., and Friends of the Albany Theatre believe it is adding value to
Albany downtown redevelopment, and stands as a symbol of a
united, diversified community.
located in Jacksonville, Florida. Taylor found the original blueprints
for the Albany Theatre in the firm’s archives just days before their
destruction, and this American Institute of Architects Fellow will
provide oversight in the rehabilitation, in partnership with Albany
engineering and construction firms.
Miller envisioned the theatre, abandoned since the early
1970s, as a potential economic development cornerstone in the City
of Albany’s plans for downtown revitalization. The Albany
Downtown Riverfront Master Plan, managed by Albany Tomorrow,
Inc., identified the Albany Theatre as a key component of downtown
development. In 1999, Oglethorpe Development Group, Inc. was
issued $3 million in enterprise, tax-exempt bonds from the Albany2
continued from page 1
PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP RECLAIMS THE ALBANY THEATRE
Dougherty Inner City Authority (ADICA), and $1.5 million in
taxable bonds, totaling a $4.5 million financing deal for the project.
U.S. Senator Max Cleland, Congressman Sanford Bishop, and
Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor recognized the preservation
potential of this project as a boon to the Albany community and the
state of Georgia. These officials, the Board of Commissioners of
Dougherty County, and the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce
provided letters of support for the project. The Albany Theatre has
received support from the historical theatre community including
the Liberty Theatre Cultural Center, Inc., and the Springer Opera
House of Columbus. Jomandi Productions of Atlanta has offered
to bring tour productions to the Albany theatre when the
rehabilitation is completed.
A steel gate to the left of the
theatre’s main doors was the
entrance for African Americans
during segregation.
 Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
African Americans viewed the Cab Calloway
concert in 1940 and Good-bye My Lady, a 1955
movie featuring Sidney Poitier, from the Crow’s
Nest in the balcony of the Albany Theatre.
The grand staircase can be saved
due to its concrete and steel frame.
Walnut handrails, supported by
cast and wrought iron, withstood
30 years of neglect.
Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
3
GEORGIA HERITAGE GRANT PROGRAM
Since 1994, the Georgia Heritage Grant Program has offered
matching funds on a statewide competitive basis to local
governments and nonprofit organizations for the preservation of
Georgia Register and National Register-eligible historic properties.
In the program’s first seven years, matching grant funds totaling
over $1,600,000 have been awarded to assist in the completion of
more than 125 development and predevelopment projects
throughout Georgia. Each year, approximately 15 to 20 projects
are selected for funding, based on need, degree of threat to the
resource, project planning, and community benefit from the
resource. Geographical and demographical distribution and variety
of resource types and uses are also considered in award decisions.
Many African American historic resources have received
grant assistance from the Georgia Heritage program in the past.
For example, the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, located in
Atlanta’s Auburn Avenue Historic District, received $22,000 for
structural stabilization. The First African Baptist Church at Raccoon
Bluff on Sapelo Island received $10,000 for roof repair. The City
of Columbus received $7,000 for electrical rewiring repair at the
Gertrude Pridgett Ma Rainey House. The City of Americus
received $25,000 for structural stabilization and repairs for three
shotgun houses located on Ashby Street in a historically African
American neighborhood. The most recent African American
resources that were awarded Georgia Heritage grants were The
Herndon Home in Atlanta and the Alapaha Colored School in
Berrien County.
Cherie Blizzard, Grants Coordinator
Historic Preservation Division
The Historic Preservation Division awarded a $14,000 Georgia Heritage
grant to The Herndon Home, a National Historic Landmark located in
Fulton County. Grant funds will be used for physical improvements needed
to make the home accessible to visitors with physical disabilities. Alonzo
Herndon, the African American founder of the Atlanta Life Insurance
Company, built this home in 1910 for his family residence. HPD staff
present the check during a recent visit. Pictured from left to right: Stacie
Monroe, architectural reviewer, Carole Merritt, director of The Herndon
Home, Cherie Blizzard, grants coordinator, and Lawana Woodson, budget
& grants assistant. Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
For State Fiscal Year 2002, a total of $500,000 has been
appropriated for the Georgia Heritage Program to provide matching
grants for development and predevelopment projects. Development
projects include stabilization, preservation, rehabilitation and
restoration activities. Predevelopment projects include plans and
specifications, feasibility studies, historic structure reports, or other
building-specific or site-specific preservation plans. The maximum
grant amount that can be requested is $40,000 for development
projects, and $20,000 for predevelopment projects.
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be a local
government or private secular nonprofit organization and have
documentation of matching funds (equal to at least 40% of the
project cost). The property for which funds are being requested
must be listed in, or eligible for listing in, the Georgia Register of
Historic Places, and be listed prior to reimbursement of funds.
Eligibility is determined by submission of a Historic Property
Information Form. The HPIF includes a description of the property,
floor plans and maps identifying the location. A summary narrative
documenting the historical significance of the property is included
in the HPIF. This information supports the request for a National
Register nomination. All grant assisted work must meet the
applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Archaeology
and Historic Preservation.
Grant applications for SFY 2002 are currently
available with a submission deadline of July 17, 2001. Grant
awards will be announced October 1, 2001. For further
information, or to be put on the mailing list to receive an
application, contact: Cherie Blizzard, Grants Coordinator,
Historic Preservation Division, Department of Natural
Resources at 404/651-5181.
Constructed in 1924, the Alapaha Colored School is located in the northern
portion of Berrien County. This wooden schoolhouse is an example of a
rural school constructed to educate African American students. The town
of Alapaha was awarded a $37,000 Georgia Heritage grant to stabilize
and restore the building. When completed, the school will be used as a
town library, community meeting center, and masonic lodge.
Photo by William R. Hover
4
AFRICAN AMERICAN THEATRES IN GEORGIA
The Morton Building features businesses
on the ground level. Double doors
providing access to the Morton Theatre
are on the left. Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
Theatres are some of the most significant community landmark
historic properties associated with African American culture
and history in Georgia. Beginning in the early 1970s,
preservationists initiated rehabilitation projects to recognize these
properties, resulting in partnerships that led to the creation of the
Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network. Working
with the Historic Preservation Division, through grant and technical
assistance programs, three African American theatres were listed
in the National Register of Historic Places, and are functioning
symbols of theatre and community revitalization efforts.
The Douglass Theatre is located in Macon, Bibb County,
in the Macon Historic District, listed in the National Register of
Historic Places in 1974. Charles H. Douglass, an African American
entrepreneur, founded the Douglass Theatre in 1921. During the
Jim Crow era, there were no theatres accessible to African
Americans in Macon. Douglass recognized the need for a
performing arts center, and built the theatre as a vaudeville hall and
movie house for the community. During the early years of the
Douglass Theatre, performers included comedians Butterbeans and
Susie and blues legends Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. The
Douglass Theatre featured African American films such as Cabin
in the Sky and Carmen. Jazz greats Cab Calloway and Duke
Ellington played at the Douglass until the Macon City Auditorium
offered their shows to white audiences in the 1940s. When R&B
music gained enormous popularity in the 1960s, Otis Redding,
James Brown and Macon’s own Little Richard performed at the
Douglass Theatre.
The Douglass Theatre closed its doors in 1972, and did
not reopen until extensive rehabilitation was completed in 1997.
The Historic Preservation Division provided Historic Preservation
Fund grants in 1979 totaling $40,000 to aid the rehabilitation project.
This restored historic theatre upgraded its capacity to 314 seats in
the auditorium, adding a 1,500 sq. ft. annex for receptions, special
events and a gift shop. The theatre expanded its technology to
accommodate laser shows, high definition movies, and the sound
system was upgraded. The
Douglass Theatre recently
sponsored jazz group Spyro
Gyra, and the Douglass
Players host four Broadway
productions annually. The
Douglass Theatre, Inc., is a
nonprofit organization. Visit
the Douglass Theatre website
at www.douglasstheatre.org
for membership and event
information.
The Morton Building,
a four-story, historic structure
in Athens, Clarke County,
includes the Morton Theatre.
This building was listed in the
National Register of Historic
Places in 1979, and the Historic
Preservation Division provided
a $27,432 Historic Preservation Fund grant to assist the rehabilitation
of the theatre in 1980. Monroe B. Pink Morton, a prominent
African American contractor and businessman, constructed the
building/theatre in 1910. The Morton Building featured storefronts
on the ground level to accommodate African American businesses,
an example of early 20th century mixed use commercial
development. Morton owned 20-30 buildings in Athens, and was
publisher of the Progressive Era, an African American newspaper.
Many African American physicians, dentists and pharmacists had
offices in the Morton Building, including Dr. Ida Mae Johnson
Hiram, the first black woman to be licensed in the state of Georgia.
The Morton Building and Theatre is located on Athens’ Hot
Corner, a popular gathering place for African Americans since
the late 19th century. Hot Corner today includes the Morton
Building on Washington Street and Wilson’s Styling Shop, the
Manhattan Café and Wilson’s Soul Food on adjacent Hull Street.
The Douglass Theatre, in downtown Macon, reopened in
1997, and hosts movies, music and stage productions.
 Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
A bronze bust of Charles H.
Douglass, founder of the Douglass
Theatre, commemorates his
contribution to the African
American community in Macon.
 Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
encouragement of Charlotte Frazier,
executive director, the Owlettes and
Columbus historian Dr. Joseph B.
Mahan, the property was listed in the
National Register of Historic Places
in 1984. Rehabilitation of the
Liberty Theatre was implemented
when the City of Columbus and the
Spencer Owlettes received a one
million dollar grant from the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban
Development, in conjunction with
the Columbus Fifth and Sixth
Avenue Redevelopment Plan in
1993. The rehabilitation project
required a nonprofit sponsor, and the
Liberty Theatre Cultural Center, Inc.
reopened the Liberty Theatre in
1997. Currently, the Liberty Theatre
functions as a performing arts center
for the Columbus community.
Due to segregation in the Jim Crow south, , performing
arts were limited to buildings or informal structures that provided
stages for African American artists. The structures and the artists
who performed in them became collectively known as the famed
Chitlin Circuit. Georgia was a pivotal state in the formulation
of the Chitlin Circuit, as Ma Rainey and Fletcher Henderson were
natives who performed throughout the south. The Douglass, Morton
and Liberty Theatres provided venues for Chitlin Circuit artists.
The historical documentation from the nominations in the National
Register of Historic Places for these
properties provide baseline data for
Chitlin Circuit structures and
performers. The Georgia African
American Historic Preservation
Network is conducting further
research to identify other theatres or
structures used by Chitlin Circuit
artists. The Chitlin Circuit research
project will help to raise awareness
for buildings utilized as performance
venues for this important aspect of
Georgia’s African American
heritage. Should readers have any
photos or documentation of Chitlin
Circuit structures and performers,
please contact Jeanne Cyriaque,
Reflections editor (see page 7).
Readers who are planning rehabilitation projects for historic theatres
may qualify for financial assistance from the Georgia Heritage Grant
program or state/federal tax incentives. The National Trust for
Historic Preservation’s Curtain Up: New Life for Historic Theatres
is a publication that provides additional information and technical
assistance sources.
AFRICAN AMERICAN THEATRES IN GEORGIA
The first concert at the
Morton Theatre was in 1910. It
was a classical concert attended by
both African American and white
patrons. Ironically, Morton
reserved a special section in the
balcony for his white patrons
during the Jim Crow era. The
Morton Theatre has a wooden floor
that slopes towards the stage. It
has a small orchestra pit and two
theater boxes on either side of the
stage. The ceiling of the Morton
Theatre is pressed tin. Louis
Armstrong and Black Patti
performed at the Morton Theatre.
Today, the Morton Theatre is the
only surviving, intact 19th/early 20th
century theatre in Athens. The
theatre is an excellent example of
a public/private partnership, owned by Athens-Clarke County. Visit
the Morton Theatre in Athens at mortontheatre@usa.net.
In 1925, Roy E. Martin, white owner of the Martin Theatre
Company chain, built the Liberty Theatre in Columbus, Muscogee
County. The Liberty Theatre was the only movie house African
Americans could attend during the Jim Crow era, and the theatre
provided entertainment and a cultural center for the black
community in Columbus and soldiers from nearby Fort Benning.
The Liberty Theatre had 600 seats, and during the silent movie era,
local bands provided entertainment. The Liberty Theatre was a
popular location for vaudeville and minstrel shows. Many blues
and jazz performers played at the Liberty Theatre, but none were
more famous than Columbus native, Gertrude Pridgett Ma Rainey,
who achieved national recognition as the Mother of the Blues.
The Liberty hosted numerous singers including Marian Anderson,
Ethel Waters, and the Whitman Sisters. Fletcher Henderson and
jazz Big Bands performed at the Liberty Theatre for 50 years.
With the arrival of modern movie houses, the end of segregation,
and the decline of road shows, the Liberty Theatre gradually
deteriorated and closed in 1974.
Roy Martin donated the Liberty Theatre to the Golden
Owlettes, a group of alumnae from the William H. Spencer High
School, an African American school in Columbus. With the
5
Gertrude Pridgett Ma
Rainey performed in all
African American theatres in
Georgia. This drawing,
featuring her image and home,
was featured in a Columbus
Convention & Visitors Bureau
poster series.
The Morton Theatre’s original,
cast iron pot belly stove.
 Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
The Liberty Theatre is located in Columbus.
This historic building is managed by the
Liberty Theatre Cultural Center, Inc.
The Liberty Theatre’s original
seats bear contributors’ names
on brass plates.
 Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
Conference themes included discussion of the Diaspora
and the dispersion of African communities in the Americas. Keynote
speaker Robert Farris Thompson, professor of Art History at Yale
University, shared the impact of southwest Cameroon music and
art in cultural landscapes in America. Researchers pointed out how
African farm technology shaped agricultural methodology in
America. Experts discussed cultural landscapes and institutions
including burial practices, churches, gardens and cemeteries.
Marquetta Goodwine, Gullah historian and founder of the Gullah/
Geechee Sea Island Coalition, presented African cultural traditions
in coastal communities.
Carol Shull, Keeper of the National Register of Historic
Places, Charlene Dwin Vaughn, program analyst with the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation, and Jim Charleton, NPS
international programs specialist, provided their expertise in
connecting the presentations to current historic preservation
practices. Shull pointed out that the papers provide an important
historic context and are valuable sources of information to transfer
research questions into policy. The information provided at the
conference will assist NPS in identifying and preparing properties
for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. The
National Park Service will use the presentations and essays to
develop educational, web based tools to increase awareness of
African Reflections on the American Landscape.
6
PLACES OF CULTURAL MEMORY:
AFRICAN REFLECTIONS
ON THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE
NATIONAL TRUST
FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
ANNUAL CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS
The National Trust is offering scholarships for community
activists and college students to attend Preserving the Spirit of Place
in Providence, Rhode Island, October 16-21, 2001. The National
Trust for Historic Preservation has encouraged diverse participation
in the Emerging Preservation Leaders Scholarship Program since
1992. The scholarship deadline is June 15, 2001. Contact the
National Trust Southern Office (843/722-8552) for an application.
The electronic version is available on their website, at
www.nthpconference.org.
SPRINGFIELD VILLAGE
PARK CELEBRATION
The Springfield Village Park Foundation, Inc., hosted a
celebration in honor of the construction of the Springfield
Village Park in Augusta on May 6, 2001. The park is adjacent to
Springfield Baptist Church, the oldest independent African
American church in the nation. Reverend Emmett T. Martin, pastor
of the church, presided at the celebration. The Springfield Village
Park Foundation, Inc. president is Robert Kirby. He is president
and CEO of Castleberry’s Food, Inc. Kirby’s company provided
barbeque for all participants following the ceremony. Isaac Johnson
provided comments on the historic and cultural influence of
Springfield in Augusta. Richard Hunt, sculptor, shared his artistic
vision of the park’s tower of inspiration. The tower will be the
cornerstone of the Springfield Village Park.
Charles L. Walker, Georgia senator, addressed the
participants on the national significance of the park. Robert Young,
mayor, and Julian Osbon, president of Augusta Tomorrow,
discussed the importance of the park to Augusta’s downtown
revitalization program. Commissioner R.K. Sehgal of the Georgia
Department of Industry, Trade & Tourism praised this preservation
project and hailed its statewide impact. The Springfield Village
Park is located on 12th and Reynolds Street, and is an important
venue in Augusta’s riverfront planning.
The National Park Service sponsored Places of Cultural Memory:
African Reflections on the American Landscape in Atlanta, May
9-12, 2001. Recognizing African contributions to development of
cultural and physical landscapes in the Americas, especially the
United States, the National Park Service convened an
interdisciplinary panel of experts to share research and presentations
designed to bring greater awareness of African contributions to the
American environment. Morris Brown College, Clark Atlanta
University, the Georgia African American Historic Preservation
Network, The Georgia Trust, the Historic Preservation Division,
and the Southeast Regional African American Preservation Alliance
were conference co-sponsors.
Falona Heidelberg, executive director of the African
American Experience Fund at the National Park Foundation,
developed the conference concept. She believed there was a lack
of awareness of how African culture influenced the built
environment, and convened a series of meetings with NPS to seek
input from scholars. Antoinette Lee, NPS Special Projects Manager,
and Brian Joyner organized the conference. Joyner provided
technical assistance to presenters and editorial support for the 13
essays included in conference notebooks.
At the conclusion of conference
events, 25 participants toured the
birth home of Martin Luther
King, Jr. The home is located in
the Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Historic Landmark
District in Atlanta, Fulton
County. The tour was conducted
by Barbara Tagger, National
Park Service historian.
 Photo by Jeanne Cyriaque
St. John’s Building
Springfield Baptist Church
Drawing by Glenda Gunn
7
GEORGIA
AFRICAN AMERICAN
HISTORIC
PRESERVATION
NETWORK
STEERING COMMITTEE
Charlotte Frazier
Columbus
Chair
706/687-4688
Linda Wilkes
Atlanta
Vice-Chair
404/688-0472
Isaac Johnson
Augusta
Treasurer
706/738-1901
Karl Barnes
Atlanta
Secretary
404/758-4891
Donald Beall
Columbus
706/569-4344
Corinne Blencoe
Newnan
770/254-7443
Beth Shorthouse
Atlanta
404/881-9980
Thomas Williams
Atlanta
404/331-4811
Reflections, the quarterly
newsletter of the Georgia African
American Historic Preservation
Network, is now available on the
Historic Preservation Division
website. Visit www.gashpo.org and
click the newsletter sidebar to view
previous Reflections editions with
color photos. All GAAHPN members
in the database will continue to receive
printed versions. HPD posts weekly
updates of current preservation news
and events. At press time, network
membership has increased to over 575
preservationists. If you would like to
become a member of the GAAHPN
preservation movement, feel free to
contact me or Steering Committee
members. Jeanne Cyriaque
African American Programs Coordinator
Historic Preservation Division
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
156 Trinity Avenue, S.W. Suite 101
Atlanta, GA 30303-3600
Voice 404/656-4768 Fax 404/651-8739
jeanne_cyriaque@mail.dnr.state.ga.us
REFLECTIONS ON THE WEB
AFRICAN AMERICAN
PRESERVATIONISTS HONORED
The Historic Preservation Division announced its fourth annual
Preservation Achievement Awards on May 18, 2001. The
awards presentation is a highlight of Historic Preservation Month
in Georgia. Each year HPD staff nominate individuals who make
significant personal commitment to historic preservation in Georgia.
Two African American preservationists received awards this year.
Isaac Johnson, treasurer of the Georgia African American
Historic Preservation Network, received an award for his significant
contributions to preservation in Georgia.
Johnson is a founding member of
GAAHPN, and his stewardship of the
Springfield Baptist Church in Augusta
was one of the initial preservation
projects that led to the formation of the
Network. Johnson was a key participant
in a feasibility analysis that evolved into
the restoration of the St. Johns Building,
the original church.
Springfield Baptist Church was
listed in the National Register of Historic
Places in 1982. Johnson is the historian of the church, and he is a
member of the Springfield Village Park Foundation, Inc. He was
the local coordinator for the recent Southeast Regional African
American Preservation Alliance conference hosted by GAAHPN,
and is committed to a number of preservation initiatives in Augusta.
Johnson is a member of Historic Augusta, the National Trust for
Historic Preservation and The Georgia Trust. His knowledge of
local African American history, expertise in preservation, skills in
consensus building and genuine enthusiasm for helping others
makes him an invaluable member of GAAHPN and an effective
ambassador for preservation throughout Georgia.
Cecil N. McKithan is currently chief of the National
Register Programs Division of the National Park Service
southeastern office in Atlanta. McKithan has collaborated with
numerous HPD/NPS initiatives. Since the 1980s, he has coordinated
various programs impacting preservation in Georgia, including
National Historic Landmarks and the Historically Black Colleges
and Universities grants. McKithan’s work with the federal Tax
Incentives Program was exceptional, as he managed the division
that reviewed tax applications for the southeastern United States.
Among notable projects, McKithan led the team review of the Fulton
Bag and Cotton Mill in Atlanta. His support of Georgia’s Tax
Program was invaluable in completing this complex project.
Throughout his career with the National Park Service,
McKithan’s primary concern has been the successful rehabilitation
of Georgia’s historic buildings. He generously shares his time and
expertise to work with HPD staff, developers and architects to ensure
a sound project. In times of differing opinions and interpretations,
McKithan remains focused, diligent, and concerned about what
works best for the programs and the historic resources. His
commitment to preservation makes him most deserving of a
Preservation Achievement Award.
Charlotte Frazier, Chair
Isaac Johnson
Jeanne Cyriaque
African American
Programs Coordinator
The Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network (GAAHPN)
was established in January 1989. It is composed of representatives from
neighborhood organizations and preservation groups throughout the state.
GAAHPN was formed in response to a growing interest in preserving the cultural and
ethnic diversity of Georgia’s African American heritage. This interest has translated
into a number of efforts which emphasize greater recognition of African American
culture and contributions to Georgia’s history. The Network meets regularly to plan
and implement ways to develop programs that will foster heritage education,
neighborhood revitalization, and support community and economic development.
The Network is an informal group of over 575 people from around the state
who have an interest in preservation. Members are briefed on the status of current and
planned projects and are encouraged to offer ideas, comments and suggestions. The
meetings provide an opportunity to share and learn from the preservation experience
of others and to receive technical information through workshops. Members receive a
newsletter, Reflections, produced by the Network. Membership in the Network is
open to all, and Georgians are invited to find out more about their work.
ABOUT GAAHPN
This publication has been financed in part with federal
funds from the National Park Service, Department of the
Interior, through the Historic Preservation Division,
Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The contents
and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or
policies of the Department of the Interior, nor does the
mention of trade names, commercial products or
consultants constitute endorsement or recommendation
by the Department of the Interior or the Georgia
Department of Natural Resources. The Department
of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis
of race, color, national origin, or disability in its
federally assisted programs. If you believe you have
been discriminated against in any program, activity, or
facility, or if you desire more information, write to: Office
for Equal Opportunity, National Park Service, 1849 C
Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240.
Published quarterly by the
Historic Preservation Division
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
W. Ray Luce, Division Director &
Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer
Jeanne Cyriaque, Editor
A Program of the
Historic Preservation Division
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
156 Trinity Avenue, S.W.
Suite 101
Atlanta, GA 30303-3600