Constructed circa 1910, Cherry Grove Schoolhouse in Wilkes County stands as a rare surviving example of an early 20th-century rural African American school building in Georgia. This one-room schoolhouse is on the grounds of the Cherry Grove Baptist Church, which was established in 1875, and was part of the 175th school district for the farming children of Danburg and Sandtown. The building was in use from 1910 to 1956. After a long period of deterioration, the Cherry Grove Schoolhouse became the center of a preservation initiative headed by the Friends of Cherry Grove School, established in 2015. The building had a collapsed roof (which had broken through the floor), termite damage, and broken joists. In addition, the structure—which sits on a gentle slope—was leaning, after one pier—part of the building’s foundation—had fallen apart. The University of Georgia completed a historic structures report in 2016, which identified appropriate interventions and helped collect the histories tied to the site. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2020 and named a Georgia Trust Place in Peril in 2021, the Friends of Cherry Grove set an example for many other groups in the state to follow. Community-led efforts attracted funds and in-kind donations that were vital to the rehabilitation. This project has brought together many citizens of Wilkes County, preserved a significant heritage tourism site, and brings needed recognition to the history of education of African American children in rural Jim Crow South.

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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The City of Macon built the Mechanics Engine House No. 4 to house one of several volunteer firefighting companies, and it is the only intact 19th-century firehouse that remains in the city. The building was used as a firehouse from its construction until 1930, but had sat vacant for many years before Historic Macon purchased the property in 2018. While the building was in stable condition, rehabilitation focused on masonry repair, new roofing, and structural framing repair of the second floor.  The Fire Hall is now the headquarters of the Historic Macon Foundation, expanding the boundaries of revitalization in downtown Macon and proving their commitment to revitalizing communities by preserving architecture and sharing history.

The Chairman’s Award is presented at the sole discretion of the Georgia Trust Chairman of the Board of Trustees to recognize extraordinary efforts contributing to the preservation of Georgia’s historic resources.

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Hotel Forty-Five, in downtown Macon, was originally constructed as the Bankers Insurance Building in 1923. The building was four stories tall, but when an eleven-story addition was added in 1941, it became one of the most coveted office addresses in the city. Most recently housing a variety of governmental agencies, the building had lost much of its historic character due to insensitive alterations and retrofits. Removal of these alterations returned the historic corridors to their original appearance, highlighting marble-clad walls and terrazzo floors. Variations between the first and second floors between the two eras of construction required creative problem-solving to preserve the historic character while accommodating accessibility and modern code requirements. Located on a prominent intersection where Cotton Street intersects the downtown grid at a 45-degree angle, the 94-room boutique hotel now offers accommodations to tourists and business travelers as the first hotel in downtown Macon in a generation.

The Michael L. Starr Award was created in 2020 in memory of Mike Starr, former Board Chair of the Georgia Trust and the Georgia Cities Foundation. This award honors the rehabilitation of a downtown historic building which best exemplifies the highest standards of historic rehabilitation and has a significant impact on the downtown of the city in which it is located.

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In the heart of historic Inman Park, 788 Lake Avenue sat vacant and deteriorating for nearly 40 years. The Victorian cottage, constructed in 1907, retained many of its original features, including windows, heart pine flooring, fireplaces, tile, trim, and hardware. However, collapsed foundation piers had created a 16-inch sag in the foundation, water was infiltrating the entire structure, and the roof was in danger of collapse. Utilizing state and federal historic tax credits, a year-long rehabilitation was completed that preserved the historic features and floorplan, while adding an approved addition at the rear of the structure. The house, a contributing property in the local historic district, has set an example for what a commitment to preservation can accomplish.

Excellence in Rehabilitation Awards recognize projects that make compatible use of a building through repair, alterations or additions while preserving features of the property that convey its historic value.

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Constructed in 1947 through the Federal Housing Administration’s Veterans Emergency Housing program, Capitol View Apartments is a classic example of a modern mid-century apartment building. Featuring ten rectangular two-story buildings arranged in “U”-shaped configurations around five landscaped courtyards. When first built, the apartments had features that had not been previously available to lower-income renters, such as modern bathrooms and kitchens. The rehabilitation brought the units into compliance with ADA accessibility while retaining most of the original design and materials. This rehabilitation combined historic tax credits and low-income housing tax credits to showcase the mid-century planning and architecture while retaining affordable housing opportunities in the city.

Excellence in Rehabilitation Awards recognize projects that make compatible use of a building through repair, alterations or additions while preserving features of the property that convey its historic value.

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Constructed in 1909, with expansions during the 1920s and in 1954, the Oconee Street School served Athens as an elementary school for over sixty years.  Following school consolidation in 1975, the building was shuttered. The property was occupied for a brief period in the 1980s, during which time some insensitive rehabilitations were undertaken. The recent rehabilitation focused on window restoration, reconditioning historic entryways, and significant masonry repair on the exterior, returning the interior spaces to their original volume, and reimagining the classrooms as offices, conference rooms, and collaboration spaces. Protected by a conservation easement held by the Georgia Trust, and utilizing state and federal tax credits, the Oconee School proves the value in preserving community landmarks for new uses.

Excellence in Rehabilitation Awards recognize projects that make compatible use of a building through repair, alterations or additions while preserving features of the property that convey its historic value.

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Designed by noted Atlanta firm Finch, Alexander, Barnes, Rothschild and Paschal, or FABRAP, this New Formalist building near downtown Atlanta exemplifies the modern architecture of its age. Constructed in 1966 as the administrative headquarters of the North Georgia Conference of the Methodist Church, the building’s minimalistic masonry style elements serve as a backdrop for the 12-sided chapel with its dramatic roofline and steeple. The recent redevelopment utilized historic tax credits, converting the building – which had been vacant for nearly two decades – into 51 rental apartments. Character-defining features that were retained include a large fluorescent light fixture and wood paneling in the lobby, while the former chapel and pedestrian plaza now serve as community gathering spaces for the tenants of the building.

Excellence in Rehabilitation Awards recognize projects that make compatible use of a building through repair, alterations or additions while preserving features of the property that convey its historic value.

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The son of German immigrants and owner of the Zuber Lumber Company, John William Zuber built the neo-classical Zuber-Jarrell House in 1906 in East Atlanta. The Zuber family lived in the house until 1927. Ten years later in 1937, John Jarrell purchased the house. The Jarrell family lived in the home until 2003 when it was purchased by the current owners, Jennifer Murray and Marc Dobiecki. Since then, the owners have worked to painstakingly rehabilitate every inch of this historic home. Major projects included restoration of the widow’s walk, reconstruction of the porte-cochere, restoration of all windows, including 12 stained glass windows, and plaster repair throughout the interior. A contributing property in the East Atlanta Historic District, the Zuber-Jarrell House has served as a living laboratory, as Jenny and Marc have graciously shared their rehabilitation process with the Georgia Trust, Georgia State students, and numerous community groups.

Excellence in Rehabilitation Awards recognize projects that make compatible use of a building through repair, alterations or additions while preserving features of the property that convey its historic value.

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Wiley Burge purchased the property in what is now Newton County in 1809. Since that time – through periods of enslavement, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and 20th-century tenant farming, the land has been passed through members of the Burge and Morehouse families. The current owners and stewards of the property are Alexander “Sandy” Morehouse and his wife, Betsy. Now operated as a private hunting club and event venue, Sandy and Betsy have preserved the main house – a 1920 design by noted architect and family member Merrit J. Morehouse – many outbuildings, and a family cemetery. Through their longstanding stewardship, the Morehouse family has not shied away from the full history of the Burge site – documenting the histories of those enslaved at the site, the tenant families who farmed the land, and the many women in the family whose stories were integral to the ongoing history of the site.

Excellence in Stewardship Awards recognize those who ensure the preservation of historic properties through long-term care and maintenance, stabilization, protection or continuous family ownership.

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