Built on land donated by David Tobias Howard, one of the first African American millionaires, the David T. Howard Middle School was designed by A. Ten Eyck Brown and constructed in phases starting in 1923. Originally an equalization school, attendees and graduates of the school include Martin Luther King, Jr., Walt Frazier, Maynard Jackson and Olympian Mildred McDaniels. The school was closed in 1976, but ownership was retained by Atlanta Public Schools. After years of debate about whether the school should be used or torn down, the school system made the decision to rehabilitate the structure to once again serve students, a huge accomplishment for the school and community. The historic classroom building and gymnasium were sensitively rehabilitated while new classrooms, an auditorium, cafeteria and administration suite were added in a design that is complementary but distinct from the historic architecture. In the heart of Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward, Howard Middle School serves as proof that preservation of significant historic resources can always be achieved, allowing tangible connections to the past to inspire new generations.

The building also received an award for Excellence in Rehabilitation.

The Marguerite Williams Award is presented annually to the project that has had the greatest impact on preservation in the state.

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Griffin’s historic City Hall, designed by Atlanta architect Haralson Bleckley and completed in 1910, included city council chambers, a fire hall and City offices. After the City offices vacated the building in 2003, it sat vacant, the roof deteriorated and significant water damage occurred. After being designated a Georgia Trust Place in Peril in 2014, the citizens of Griffin rallied behind Historic City Hall, passing a SPLOST bill to fund the rehabilitation. Substantial improvements were required to carefully rehabilitate the building, a process that spanned from 2017 to 2019. The project included the removal of a non-contributing 1950s City Police Department addition, sensitively integrating new systems and technology, and rehabilitating the historic spaces for modern use. Following the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, the main focus of the project was to retain the historic fabric and replace in-kind where materials were missing or no longer sound. The building now houses offices for the City’s Economic Development department and rentable event space, including the historic city council chamber, with rehabilitated stage and balcony, conference rooms, and the fire hall, which involved the reconstruction of wood fire hall doors on the west elevation. This project exemplifies an outstanding rehabilitation project and we would like to acknowledge the determination of the leadership and citizens of Griffin who have proven that where there’s a will there’s a way.

The building also received an award for Excellence in Rehabilitation.

The Marguerite Williams Award is presented annually to the project that has had the greatest impact on preservation in the state.

The post Griffin Historic City Hall appeared first on The Georgia Trust.