Fall 2022 Newsletter

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Photo by APC

T E N T H WA R D FI R E STAT ION N O. 2 0, C A PI TOL V I E W Capitol View Manor is composed entirely of single-family houses and duplexes, except for one community landmark building — the Tenth Ward Fire Station No. 20.

This station was constructed in 1926 and is still in service today, looking much as it did at the time of its completion.

Station No. 20 is a great example of how a community is connected to its past while still being present and contributing now and for the future. Built by Shaw Construction Company, the station incorporates a brick facade and front-gabled roof that are reminiscent of neighboring English Vernacular Revival-style houses on Manford Road. The second story, located toward the rear of the building, is still intact and was part of the building’s original design.

This design was not typical for Atlanta fire stations, further supporting the assumption that its style was intended to correspond with its surroundings. Capitol View Manor was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

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Preservation PROGRESS

I T ’S OFFICI A L ! ST. M A R K A M E DE SIG N AT ED A CI T Y OF AT L AN TA L AN D M A R K BU I LDI N G SI T E St. Mark AME, c. 1920 is the most recent historic site in the City of Atlanta to be designated a landmark building site.

The APC sponsored the designation in partnership with Pastor Winston Taylor, Mother Mamie Moore, the Department of City Planning, Landmark Preservation, Professor and APC Board Member Dr. Danielle Willkens, and students from the Georgia Tech School of Architecture.

R E STOR AT ION W OR K C ON T I N U E S AT T H E A P C Over the last several months, the Atlanta Preservation Center and consultant Landmark Preservation have continued phased restoration projects at the c. 1856 L.P Grant Mansion. Graham Johnston and Norman Dykeman with Landmark Preservation are working on the west

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and east facade window restoration, including new glazing and another coat of paint. All of the ongoing repairs and restoration work are being completed in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

From the official nomination: “This landmark designation will help preserve a significant c. 1920 historic site that has greatly contributed to Atlanta’s African American history. St. Mark AME Church is representative of the shifting racial pattern that took place throughout the country, and more specifically within the Atlanta neighborhoods of English Avenue and Vine City. This trend is significant locally as it changed the neighborhood racial make-up from being a majority working class white neighborhood to a majority working class African-American neighborhood, as well as the ownership of the church.”

St. Mark AME Church represents a unique example of a vernacular interpretation of the Mission Revival architectural style. The church itself is a two-story structure constructed of gray Stone Mountain granite that was fitted together by hand like a puzzle with beaded mortar joints. Although the interior elements of the building no longer remain and the roof was removed, St. Mark AME Church is still recognizable as a house of worship.

E A SE M E N TS AT L AN TA U PD AT E: PR O G R E SS AT T H E W I N N W O OD A PA RT M E N TS Restoration continues at the c. 1931 Winnwood Apartments in Midtown, a historic site permanently protected by an easement held

by Easements Atlanta, Inc.

Throwback

Ongoing work includes the restoration and in-kind repairs to over 225 historic windows and exterior wood features such as pilasters, fanlight motifs, shoe molding, and more. Generally, all painted wood components of windows on site — including the sash, frames, jams, sills, and casings — require some degree of paint removal and repainting as part of the rehabilitation. All of the work is being completed per the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

MONROE DRIVE BR ANCH BUILDING The Atlanta Preservation Center advocated for over a decade to preserve the Trust Co. Monroe Drive Branch building, including listing the space on the APC’s Endangered List in 2003. In 2017/2018, facing redevelopment pressures, the building was successfully listed in the National Register of Historic Places and today is permanently protected by a preservation easement held by APC preservation partner Easements Atlanta, Inc.

Lane Brothers Commercial Photographers Photographic Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library.

Designed by architect Henri Jova, the Trust Company of Georgia Northeast Freeway Branch is an excellent example of the New Formalism style.

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Advocacy

$ 5 0 0,0 0 0 N AT ION A L PA R K SERV ICE G R AN T R E CEI V ED The Atlanta Preservation Center is the proud recipient of a $500,000 grant from the National Park Service for the English Avenue School Emergency Stabilization Project.

The project will support emergency and essential preservation work at the English Avenue School (b. 1911) in the English Avenue neighborhood of Atlanta’s westside.

The APC will be the project managers and community liaisons, working closely with the site owner, the English Avenue Neighborhood Association, Beloved Community, Inc., Assistant Professor and APC board member Dr. Danielle Willkens and the Georgia Tech School of Architecture, construction technology specialist Junshan Liu, and Landmark Preservation.

Importantly, this grant will provide funds for a comprehensive History Structures Report, administrative work focused on raising the visibility of the site through platforms for active community engagement, and physical preservation work: (1) emergency stabilization and weatherization related to the roof, gutters, and scuppers; (2) emergency brick wall stabilization; (3) biological material abatement on the masonry; (4) restore and repair decorative brownstone terracotta.

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2020, the English Avenue School was constructed in two eras, between 1910-11 and 1922-23, to accommodate the growing enrollment and changing educational needs in the City of Atlanta.

“The opportunity to work with our partners and stakeholders to stabilize this culturally significant structure for the generations that follow is the very meaning of the Atlanta Preservation Center’s mission,” said David Mitchell, Executive Director of the APC. “This grant allows us to expand the dignity of these structures/spaces through historic preservation and explain our experiences by demonstrating stewardship.”

“Throughout its history, this large elementary school has functioned as a community center to support and uplift its residents. It was an active witness to women’s suffrage, child labor

M E CH AN IC S V I LLE G R AN T AWA R DED The Atlanta Preservation Center is a proud recipient of a $40,000 grant from the Stadium Neighborhoods Community Trust Fund to support a historic resources survey of the Mechanicsville neighborhood, including a potential National Register nomination.

For this project, the APC is working closely with Mechanicsville resident DeMicha Luster, Sr. Consultant at Alexxus Community Group. Luster hopes that 4 | FALL 2022

this study will inform the preservation of the “cultural fabric” and housing in the largely residential neighborhood.

Established in 1870, Mechanicsville is one of Atlanta’s oldest neighborhoods, named for the mechanics on the railroads that brought the city to life in the first place.

“As the Atlanta Preservation Center, we feel there’s a great story to tell… but we want to tell it with the residents,” Executive Director David Mitchell said.

laws, and the ongoing pursuit of racial equity,” said Dr. Danielle Willkens, Assistant Professor at the Georgia Tech School of Architecture and APC board member. Willkens is helping lead the project and noted that this grant award provides a framework for the site “to be preserved, and eventually rehabilitated. The emergency stabilization is a critical first step.”

This project is supported through an African American Civil Rights grant, provided by the Historic Preservation Fund, as administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior.

2 29 AU BU R N AV E N U E “It’s not just a piece of Black history, it is a piece of Atlanta history,” said David Mitchell of the Atlanta Preservation Center. “As a resident of Atlanta we should protect our history.” The Atlanta Preservation Center is proud of the ongoing advocacy to save 229 Auburn Avenue and is excited to see a conversation about adaptive reuse continue. Recent research done

by Easements Atlanta, Inc. intern Sarah Borcherding reveals the building was constructed 15 years earlier than previously thought and its initial tenant was the first black-owned bank in Georgia.

The Atlanta Preservation Center understands the challenge — but, we are optimistic about the continued discussion of how to preserve this building and seek a solution that represents what Auburn Avenue has been, continues to be and always will be for Atlanta.

A P C PA RT N ER S W I T H U G A’S H I STOR IC PR E SERVAT ION PR O G R A M The Atlanta Preservation Center is excited to partner with the University of Georgia Historic Preservation Program and engage in their Financing Historic Preservation and Revitalizing Communities classes work. They will submit a grant for the preservation of 229 Auburn Avenue, which is the former Atlanta State Savings Bank. This was the first bank created by and for African Americans in the state of Georgia.

We are grateful to also partner with the Butler Street CDC in this work.

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Summer at Atlanta Preservation Center

S UM M ER I N T ER NS This summer, the Atlanta Preservation Center was fortunate to work with five incredible interns. We asked them a few questions for you to get to know them better.

IMIRI D AV I D I am a rising senior at Georgia Tech and a Public Policy major.

From Hoschton, GA What is one of your favorite things about Atlanta? My favorite thing about Atlanta so far is probably a tie between going to Hawks games and the wings.

What is one takeaway from your internship?

My biggest takeaway from my internship has been learning the history behind how Atlanta was built. Every building, every neighborhood has a story, and through my work with the APC I have been able to learn more about how the city came to be as it is today.

Why does preservation matter to you? To me, preservation is about preserving this legacy, this story so that others can come to appreciate this city as much as I do.

What is one of your favorite things about Atlanta? One of my favorite things about Atlanta (other than Tech’s campus) is the Beltline- I really enjoy running/ eating/shopping around the area!

What is one takeaway from your internship?

One takeaway from my internship is the amount of collaboration historic preservation takes; preservation is so multifaceted that it truly takes policy experts, architects, preservation experts, and so many others to make preservation efforts work!

Why does preservation matter to you?

Preservation matters to me because we all have so much to learn and gain from the past. Preserving an important piece of history acknowledges both the efforts of previous generations and lessons that current and future generations can take with them. David Mitchell has done a wonderful job highlighting the importance of historic preservation in the Civil Rights History of APS throughout my internship!

Rising 4th-year Public Policy & Psychology double major at Georgia Tech. I am working with Board Member Erika Mitchell as a policy intern for Atlanta Public Schools this summer and we have worked extensively with APC on APS historic preservation policy.

From Dalton, GA

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C A MERON J. NESMITH Graduate student at the University of Georgia, working to earn his masters degree in Historic Preservation.

From Decatur, GA What is one of your favorite things about Atlanta? As an Atlanta native, my favorite part of the city are the black historic communities that capture and characterize the true essence of Atlanta’s demographic make up.

What is one takeaway from your internship?

SAMANTHA HARVEL Georgia State University, M.A. in History student, final year.

From Watkinsville, GA

A MBER FI S CH ER

Why does preservation matter to you?

At its core, preservation is the act of keeping a physical record of where we and our communities come from and how we’ve evolved. This record informs the decisions we make for our futures and thus is something that everyone should have access to.

What is one of your favorite things about Atlanta?The food. My favorite is Blossom Tree on GSU’s campus!

What is one takeaway from your internship?

I had no idea just how many buildings in Atlanta are protected as historic places! Also, the records of the APC are a great way to understand the history of preservation in Atlanta over the last several decades.

Communities such as Sweet Auburn Avenue, Collier Heights, the West End, Kirkwood, and more, are communities that have helped shape and continue to shape, black livelihood in the most predominantly black city in the United States.

Why does preservation matter to you?

Preservation matters to me because I have a responsibility to help preserve, enhance, restore, and rehabilitate black communities and black history in the United States, in order to give agency to groups of people and humanize a race of people, that have been largely excluded and nearly non existent, from the broader American social, cultural, and historical narrative of this country and this world. I am responsible for simply giving a voice to the voiceless.

BEN SCHMIDT Georgia State University, second year of the Masters in Heritage Preservation program, Public History track.

From Canton, GA What is one of your favorite things about Atlanta? Its unique position as a Southern city that is internationally, rather than regionally, important.

What is one takeaway from your internship?

In every corner of the city, there are amazing historical landmarks that have helped shape Atlanta into what it is today. It is almost impossible to look around the city and not see at least a few structures that have changed history.

Why does preservation matter to you?

Preservation is the way that a community keeps in touch with itself. Today, the constant spread of skyscrapers and identical, generic blocks makes every city look the same; by preserving the historic fabric of the city, we keep Atlanta, and other cities around the country, from losing their unique cultural identity.

S UM M ER C A M P S U C CE SS For the second year in a row, the APC partnered with Zoo Atlanta to host a summer camp for 30 elementary-aged children with the City of Refuge. They spent the week getting to know Atlanta, touring some of its iconic landmarks and learning the history that makes the city unique. Throughout the week, the campers checked out some of Atlanta’s most famous and oldest landmarks, like The Madame CJ Walker Museum/WERD Radio, the Plaza Theatre, and Grant Park.

APC Executive Director David Mitchell says, “Everything is anchored in preservation because without these things being protected and preserved, you wouldn’t have all this. Hopefully the camp starts the foundation of stewardship and shows that preservation isn’t just simply old walls or old buildings, it’s far more. It’s about culture and it’s about identity. We are grateful for all who made this camp possible and look forward to doing it again next year.”

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EDUCATION AND COLLABORATION

WA LK I N G TO U R S The Atlanta Preservation Center is fortunate to have partnerships with many community organizations that support the APC’s walking tours, including WERD Radio & Madame CJ Walker Museum, Constellations, and Gene Kansas Commercial Real Estate. Recently, the APC has provided several tours of the Sweet Auburn Historic District to school groups. Pictured are students from The Museum School of Avondale.

We are also excited about some of our latest new tour additions that you can check out this fall: Trolley Barn Tour & Exhibit, Little 5 Points Historic Walking Tour, and the Georgia Capitol Faces and Places guided tour. Go to preserveatl.eventbrite.com to see all upcoming tours.

R A CE, SPA CE AN D A R CH I T E C T U R E W I T H DR . D AN I ELLE W I LLK E NS In May students and professors of Georgia Tech’s School of Architecture celebrated the final exhibit of research and documentation. On display was

student work from professor and APC board member Dr. Danielle Willkens’ course Race, Space, and Architecture. The APC collaborated with the students to focus on preservation, adaptive reuse, and documentation at several Atlanta sites. Continue to follow the research and design work within the community at https://sites.gatech.edu/discover.

I NST I T UT E OF CL A SSIC A L A R CH I T E C T U R E AN D A RT HO STS G R A PH I T E AN D G R I TS The APC hosted The Guild, the emerging professionals and students of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art Southeast, for their event “Graphite and Grits.” for the opportunity to explore, tour, and draw the oldest

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house in Atlanta: the 1856 L.P. Grant Mansion. Executive Director David Mitchell shared about the recent restoration and craftsmanship that are going into the windows and millwork. Afterward, attendees spent time drawing the home and details.

A P C V I SI TS T H E PE N N CE N T ER I N S O UT H C A R OLI N A The Atlanta Preservation Center supports the Penn Center National Historic Landmark’s efforts to sustain its buildings and campus structures for future generations of Americans to learn from and enjoy. Located in St. Helena Island in South Carolina, the Penn Center invited APC Executive Director David Mitchell to speak at a workshop on African American historic preservation and to introduce Mr. Brent Leggs, Vice President of the National Trust.

Pictured here in front of Penn Center’s historic Pine Cottage (l-r) are Mr. Cameron Nesmith, a Morehouse College graduate and 2nd-year Master’s student in the University of Georgia’s Historic Preservation Program; Ms. Angela Dore, research coordinator for the Penn Center-University of Georgia partnership funded by the Mellon Foundation; and Dr. Barbara McCaskill, professor of English at the University of Georgia

and associate academic director of the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts.

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SPOTLIGHT

FA LL F U N DR A I SER !

Join us Saturday, November 5 from 6pm – 9pm for our annual fundraiser.

Enjoy an evening of food, drinks, music, and a silent auction! Tickets are available at preserveatl.eventbrite.com or by scanning this code.

Thank you to our fall fundraiser sponsors for supporting this event:

L E C T U R E O N T H E F U T U R E O F T H E U N I T ED M E T H O D I S T CE N T ER In July, we hosted a lecture featuring Larissa Bebiak, Chris Jackson, and Ashley Madsen from Braden Fellman Group, who shared a special look into the c. 1965 United Methodist Center/Revival Lofts adaptive reuse project. Keep an eye out for future lectures at the APC and for a tour of the Revival Lofts during Phoenix Flies!

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5 0 T H I N M AN PA R K FE ST I VA L AN D TO U R OF HO M E S In April, the Inman Park Festival celebrated its 50th anniversary. Originally billed as “Atlanta’s First Suburb,” Inman Park was planned and built in the late 1800s. The neighborhood is both listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated by the City of Atlanta as a local historic district.

We are deeply grateful that the Atlanta Preservation Center was the recipient of all the “tips” collected from this event and has provided additional funding to support our advocacy work and to grow our ability to have interns from our local and state universities.

IN MEMORIAM

People touring homes for the Inman Park Festival and Tour of Homes, April 23, 1983.

JOH N C. WAT ER S John C. Waters was a leader in historic preservation throughout the State of Georgia.

John helped establish the Master of Historic Preservation program at the University of Georgia and co-authored the Georgia Historic Preservation Act of 1980.

H ER C U LE S Hercules, mainstay of mounted patrol, passed away after 16 years of service. Hercules was a resident of our neighborhood here in Grant Park and provided countless smiles to children and adults alike who visited him and fed him carrots. Our condolences to Officer Restrepo, who lost his trusted and loyal partner, and the Mounted Patrol team.

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NON PROFIT ORG

THE ATLANTA PRESERVATION CENTER 327 St. Paul Avenue SE, Atlanta GA 30312-3129 404.688.3353 • atlantapreservationcenter.com

SH A R E W I T H US !

Share with us your favorite historic places in Atlanta on social media with #PreserveATL and tag us on Instagram @preserveatl.

JOI N US !

Do you know of a friend who would like to support what we do at the Atlanta Preservation Center? Invite them to become a member! Would you like to upgrade your membership? Scan the QR code here to take you directly to our donation page or visit AtlantaPreservationCenter.com.

[Name Title] [Street Somewhere Dr.] [City], [State] [Zip Code]

Y O U R M E M BER SH I P Since 1979, the Atlanta Preservation Center has benefited from the incredible contributions of our members, benefactors, and friends in supporting our mission to advocate and educate for the preservation of Atlanta’s architecturally, historically, and culturally significant buildings, neighborhoods, and

PHOE N I X FLI E S CELEBR AT ES 20 YEARS !

landscapes. Today, your membership directly supports historic preservation efforts in the City of Atlanta as the Atlanta Preservation Center continues to grow, strengthen, and diversify community preservation initiatives city-wide.

Another benefit of membership is our monthly eblast that highlights advocacy, education, and more taking place that month. Encourage your friends to head to preserveatlanta.com and become a part of the Atlanta Preservation Center so they can be engaged monthly with preservation in Atlanta.

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Save the date for our 20th anniversary of Phoenix Flies: A City-Wide Celebration of Living Landmarks during March 4-26, 2023! We can’t wait to highlight our new and returning partners who will show us antebellum homes, teach us the importance of adaptively reusing buildings, guide us through Atlanta neighborhoods, introduce us to hidden treasures, and much more! Members will receive a printed program in February and registration will follow on Eventbrite.

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