Heritage Fall 2012

FALL 2012

Holiday with history

Unwrap food, drinks and cheer at our Holiday Spirits Tour.

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Stone walls

Learn the secrets behind this old-world skill.

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The future of downtown

Share your thoughts on the direction downtown Athens should take.

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achfonline.org

ATHENS-CLARKE HERITAGE FOUNDATION Fire Hall No. 2 489 Prince Avenue Athens, Georgia 30601 706-353-1801 e-mail: achf@bellsouth.net www.achfonline.org Executive Director: Amy C. Kissane Welcome Center Director: Evelyn Reece Hands On Athens Administrator: John A. Kissane MISSION To be a proactive force in developing community-wide understanding of the value of historic buildings, neighborhoods, and heritage.

VISION To become the leading advocate for the importance of historic preservation to the future of the Athens community.

ACHF 2012-2013 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Tim Kelly, President Jan Levinson, President-elect/Membership Chair Tony Stringer, Treasurer/Finance Chair Erika Lane, Treasurer-elect JameÊ Fiore, Recording Secretary Bobbie McKeller, Parliamentarian/Welcome Center Chair Linda Davis, Revolving Fund Liaison/Preservation Issues Chair David Bryant, Education Chair Lauren Dye Adam Hebbard Michael Lachowski, Communications Chair Cheri Leavy, Special Events Co-chair Kristen Morales Cullen O’Steen

Janet Patterson Keith Plummer Victoria Prevatt Paul Trudeau Tom Wilfong Carol Williams

HERITAGE CREDITS Editor: Kristen Morales Communications Committee: Michael Lachowski (chair), Jennifer Lewis, Amy Kissane Design: Eleonora Machado Heritage Newsletter Logo: Chris Bilheimer Cover photo: A statue of a dog stands on the porch to welcome visitors to the annual Holiday Spirits Tour. Photo by Kristen Morales

THANK YOU TO OUR ANNUAL HERITAGE SPONSORS

Ionic Level ($2,500) Barber Creek Design Georgia Power Todd Emily Doric Level ($1,500) Aurum Studios, Ltd. Carson Advisory, Inc. Dalton Carpet One E + E Architecture, Inc. ETL Construction Services Lindsay Transfer & Storage

fire hall from the

by Amy C. Kissane, Executive Director As you read this Heritage, it remains to be seen if the Buena Vista Heights local historic district will be designated by the A-CC Commission. The National Register of Historic Places already recognizes the neighborhood for its architectural and historical significance.

So, I hope the Commission follows suit and approves the local designation as it is the single, most effective tool we have for protecting historic buildings and neighborhoods. While I strongly support the local designation of the Buena Vista National Register district, listening to the discussions has caused me to come to terms with some issues I have with our local designation and design review processes. This designation, as with most, has not been without dissension. Local designations rarely receive 100% property owner support. Reasons for opposing vary, but most derive from concerns about not being able to make changes to properties without approval from the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). And, it is true; property owners who want to make a “material change” to the exterior of a building (this excludes routine maintenance and repairs and replacing materials, such as a roof, with the same material) must go through a design review process whereby they submit their plans, which are reviewed by the HPC—based on a published set of design guidelines—at a public hearing, to receive what is called a Certificate of Appropriateness. The design review process guarantees the preservation of the character for

which a district is designated and, by and large, does a good job, thus protecting property values. If I have a criticism, it is that HPCs are not as consistent in their decision-making as they should be. Decisions should be based on the design guidelines, and the process commissioners follow to reach their decision should be consistent from one project to another, with similar questions being asked and discussed as the pertinent issues are identified and the focus narrowed. Inconsistency becomes a burden on property owners trying to figure out the best approach to their projects. This inconsistency is in part due to a lack of training.

HPC members are volunteers and come from a variety of backgrounds.

While some may be involved in building or architecture or even historic preservation, such experience does not guarantee an understanding or knowledge of the local historic preservation ordinance, design review process, and perhaps most important the legal nuances of the process. I believe that HPC members should receive ongoing training and that it is the responsibility of the A-CC government to provide that training.

In addition to general concerns about the impact to property rights, opponents also stated that this district continues on page 22

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Message from the President

By Tim Kelly, President, ACHF Every ACHF event serves as an incredible reminder of how amazing and diverse ACHF’s membership is. This thought struck me most recently as the crowd gathered outside on an early fall night at Little Kings Shuffle Club for the second ACHF Tin Roof Music Festival.

Living in Historic Cities,” which includes lectures, tours and hands-on workshops. And this December brings our fabulous Holiday Gala, another way ACHF has worked hard over the past few years to schedule events that excite and benefit everyone on our membership roster.

Nick Mallis and the ACHF Special Events Committee once again went above and beyond in bringing together a lineup of bands that drew a great crowd to celebrate Athens music, ACHF, preservation and all the things that make living in our community special.

I urge everyone to keep an eye on the ACHF calendar next fall for the third Tin Roof Festival and to get in touch if you would like to be a part of its planning.

I don’t want any of you to miss out on these great events, so I urge you to check and make sure you have renewed your membership with ACHF for the upcoming year. Renewal letters were mailed (and signed with loving care) in early September, so go ahead and check that stack of letters by the door. And fear not, if your renewal letter has fallen victim to the recycling bin, there is a membership form in the back of this newsletter that will do the trick and you are always welcome to renew online at achfonline. org.

This year brings another exciting roster of events, kicked off with the music at the Tin Roof Festival.

The Preservation Matters series continues this year with the theme “Creative

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Thanks to all of you for your continued support.

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Welcome Center Update

Cobb House actors Kitty Wilson-Evans, Shanon Stroer, and Tyree Rowell.

Life as Art

Photo by: Marvin Nunnally

Holiday Spirits Museum Tour breathes life into Athens’ historic house museums

By Evelyn Reece, Director and Curator

To quote long-standing ChurchWaddel-Brumby committee member Jeanne Strong, “For a city of its size, Athens is incredibly fortunate to have four wonderful house museums.”

Beyond that, Dale Couch, CWB Committee member and Georgia Museum of Art decorative arts curator, has said that “the ChurchWaddel-Brumby House is important in that it reflects the underrepresented Federal period among house museums in the South, where antebellum houses abound.” I say we are lucky on all fronts, because Athens has a house for all periods, representing 100 years of Southern decorative arts, spanning from the Federal (Brumby House) to the Greek Revival (TRR Cobb & Taylor-Grady) to the lovely late Victorian interior of the Ware-Lyndon House.

Nearly five years ago, Athens house museums, under the ACHF’s Athens Historic House Museum Association (AHHMA), embarked on the creation

of the “Museum Mile Tour,” an interior tour through each house focusing on Southern decorative arts. Each year, the Museum Mile Tour culminates with a spectacular interpretive program called the Holiday Spirits Museum Theatre Tour.

But, you may ask, what is museum theater? It is the use of theatrical techniques by a museum for educational, informative and entertainment purposes, whereby professionally written plays are performed by professional actors. (Think professional performance – NOT volunteers sporting hoop skirts). The technique gained ground in the early 1980s with the first Theatre in Museums Workshop held in Minnesota, now held annually in Indianapolis. Museum theater “pioneers” include the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Museum of Science in Boston, the National Gallery of Art, the Philadelphia Zoo, and our own house museums in Athens!

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HANDS on ATHENS

Photo below: Chris Evans (right) consults with other HOA volunteers during a project work weekend a few years ago.

by John Kissane, HOA Administrator

ACHF’s Hands On Athens program has experienced a changing of the guard of sorts. Last spring, upon completion of the program’s 13th spring work weekend, HOA Steering Committee Chairman and local architect Chris Evans decided to step down after a remarkable run of nearly a full decade in the position.

Chris, who teams up with wife Katrina as principals with E+E Architecture, Inc., has been with HOA through all the growing pains, as well as more than a few exasperating moments that come with the territory here at HOA. Details of those experiences would be inappropriate for a family publication such as Heritage, so suffice to say Chris has just about seen it all with this program. He’s also given very generously of his many talents and his valuable time, so we certainly can’t begrudge his decision to give up the reins. But we’re very pleased that Chris will remain active with HOA’s house selection and logistics teams.

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Find Hands On Athens on Facebook!

Keep up with the latest Hands On Athens news via Facebook.

“Like” our page at www. facebook.com/HandsOnAthens.

We are also exceedingly happy to have Emily Boness on board assuming duties as Steering Committee Chair.

A public service assistant at UGA’s Fanning Institute, Emily works on community and leadership development in towns across Georgia.

She grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, graduated from Brown University (Providence, RI) and completed her J.D. at UGA’s School of Law in 2010.

Emily is very active in the community beyond her job, volunteering in the Clarke County Mentor Program and serving on the board of Children First and Youth Leadership Athens.

She also is an avid soccer and tennis player. Welcome to HOA, Emily!

The next issue of Heritage will include a report on HOA’s 2nd Annual Fall Work Weekend!

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Fall Fun-N-Friends

FALL FUN-N-FRIENDS A home to history

By Jan Levinson, Membership Chair Our most recent Fun-n-Friends event highlighted not a historic building, but instead a home for much of Georgia’s history.

Members of the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation gathered on Aug. 23 for the Fall Fun-n-Friends event at the new Richard B. Russell Building for Special Collections Libraries at the University of Georgia. Dedicated this past February, the building houses the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, which includes unsurpassed collections covering the history and culture of Georgia; the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research, which houses more than 300 collections documenting policy and politics in the state from 1900 through the present; and the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, the third largest archive of broadcasting in the country, after UCLA and the Library of Congress.

Featuring some of the most significant and treasured materials from the collections, the galleries of UGA’s Special Collections Libraries offer a glimpse into Georgia’s long and storied past. The evening kicked off with welcome and introductions from ACHF President Tim Kelly and Dr. Toby Graham, Deputy Director of University Libraries and Director of the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Dr. Graham made mention of the appreciation for history and preservation shared by the Special Collections Libraries and the Athens Clarke Heritage Foundation, and thanked members for their continued work

and dedication to local preservation efforts. He made sure to mention that the facility was open to the public 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, for both research and visitation of the exhibit galleries and offers a regular docent led overview tour of the galleries at 2 p.m. every Tuesday.

Special Collections staff members greeted attendees in each gallery space and invited everyone to explore interactive kiosks with access to oral history interviews, historical film, video, and sound recordings as well as historical documents and objects on display, highlighting Georgia history back to colonial times. In the auditorium, a 1943 town film of Athens played on a loop throughout the evening, giving viewers a chance to see images of the town and campus from decades past.

Perhaps the highlight of the evening was the special tour of the underground storage vault. Thirtythousand square feet and three stories tall, the vault space is climate controlled at settings ideal for the storage of paper documents: 50 degrees and 30 percent relative humidity. Though attendees were a bit cold, they marveled at the vast space said to provide 40 years of room to grow for the Special Collections Libraries.

The evening was a tremendous success, made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Law Office of Adam L. Hebbard and Sweet Peppers Deli. We look forward to hosting members at the Spring Funn-Friends event in April 2013.

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Fall Fun-N-Friends

The new Richard B. Russell Building for Special Collections Libraries.

Dr. Toby Graham, deputy director of University Libraries, welcomes the group to the Fall Fun-nFriends event at the Special Collections Libraries.

Membership committee members Chrisula Maragakis and Susan Field man the membership table, welcoming attendees to the event.

Inside the underground vault at the Special Collections Libraries, where generations of Georgia’s history are kept.

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Athenaeum Club

Meet the winners

Club members get inside look at Preservation Award winners

By Jan Levinson, Membership Chair

Mid-century ranch house on Fortson Circle

As many of our members know, the Athenaeum Club is a smaller group within the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation created to host more frequent, informal learning opportunities that invite members to discover more about the history, people, and places in Athens. Hosted nearly every month for the past three years, the A-Club has explored a host of local sites, pairing short talks and tours with informal happy hours.

Inspired by the 2012 ACHF Preservation Awards, the membership committee decided that this year the goal for A-Club would be to host eight events during the fall and spring that spotlighted 2012 ACHF Preservation Award winning properties around town. So far we’ve had a behind-the-scenes tour of the Georgia Theatre, heard

more about local farming and the renovation of a former service station at Heirloom Café, and visited a mid-century ranch house on Fortson Circle — all great events with some of our best attendance yet!

As we look forward to capping off our Fall A-Club Season with a closer look at one more award winner, and the third annual Historic Pub Crawl, I would like to tell you a bit more about where the A-Club has been this fall and a sneak peek at the events planned for the spring of 2013.

Keep in mind, Athenaeum Club events are free to all members of the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation and are a great way to learn and mingle with others invested in preservation in the Athens community.

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Athenaeum Club

Georgia Theatre 5:30-7 p.m. Aug. 21 215 N. Lumpkin Street, Athens Many historic property owners have to deal with long lists of needed repairs, ever increasing costs, and pressure for time, but these issues are all the more difficult when your historic property is a local landmark.

When Wilmot Greene bought the Georgia Theatre in 2004 he knew he was buying a coveted piece of Athens history, what he didn’t know was that five years later he would see that history go up in flames. The Athenaeum club has been lucky to tour this local landmark during many stages of the renovation and rebuilding process.

We received a spectacular behindthe-scenes tour with Wil Greene of the finished building, winner of the 2012 President’s Award given in special recognition of an extraordinary Athenian and/or preservation endeavor for the community.

Trip to Heirloom Café 5:30-7 p.m. Sept. 4 815 N. Chase Street, Athens Once upon a time, there was an old auto mechanic shop and gas staPA G E

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tion on the corner of Chase and Boulevard. Last June, the fatherdaughter team of Travis Burch and Jessica Rothacker planted a seed to recreate a nostalgic and delicious place within a historic district ripe for revitalization. And so today blooms Heirloom Café and Fresh Market. Awarded a 2012 Preservation Award for Excellence in Community Revitalization, the restaurant hosted the Athenaeum Club for a closer look at this vibrant new restaurant, and even treated us to light refreshments.

Midcentury Marvel on Fortson Circle 5:30-7 p.m. Oct. 9 189 Fortson Circle, Athens This high-style ranch house was built in 1952 by and for the Bloomberg family, who were in the scrap metal and lumber business. The original family lived in the house, making relatively few changes, until selling to a contractor in 2003. The house’s interior has remained largely unchanged and retains its original doors, cabinets, floors, hardware, bathroom fixtures and lighting fixtures. Current residents Didi Dunphy and Jim Barness were awarded a 2012 Preservation Award for Outstanding Achievement HE RI T A GE

Athenaeum Club

for their great care in preserving this midcentury architectural gem, and hosted the Athenaeum Club for a talk and tour of the home.

Sneak Peek:

Spring A-Club Events

3rd Annual ACHF Historic Pub Crawl 6-10 p.m. Oct. 25 Hosted by the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation’s Athenaeum Club, the pub crawl took participants on a tour of five historic spots in downtown Athens that now serve as popular watering holes: The Branded Butcher, The Volstead, the Mad Hatter, Walker’s Coffee and Pub, and the Grotto. At each stop participants will sample a different Terrapin craft beer and hear historical facts about buildings featured on the tour from a local guide. Along the way we’ll hand out fabulous door prizes donated by ACHF and Terrapin Brewery!

This event was made possible by our generous sponsors: Terrapin Beer Company, The Branded Butcher, Ruby Sue Graphics, Candy Creative, and the Athens Downtown Development Authority.

Morton Theatre Tuesday, February 5 Oconee Hill Cemetery Saturday, March 30th Georgia Power April (TBD) H.T. Edwards Complex May (TBD)

2013

Want to stay updated? Find the Athenaeum Club on Facebook for announcements and upcoming events.

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Names: Joan and Gary Bertsch Time in Athens: 43 years total, 20 years on Henderson Avenue

How did you come to be involved with ACHF? Joan: I was not aware of (ACHF) and moving into an older house piqued my interest in it. (Joan later served for three years as an ACHF trustee.)

What Athens landmark sparks your passion for historic preservation?

Gary: For me, I spent 40 years on campus, so the connection between the neighborhoods and the campus, especially this one because it’s so close to the university.

Joan: When we have visitors we love (sharing) this historic street, and Dearing Street.

All the old streets are really special.

Gary: Athens neighborhoods like this, you get a sense of the calm and relaxation that you don’t get in cities.

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Be a part of

Athens by being a part of ACHF. Since 1967, the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation has been the leading advocate for not only preserving the history in Athens, but also looking towards its future. There is value in keeping historic structures — not only as a historical resource, but also as a living, breathing landmark that gives back to the community with everyone who walks, bikes or drives by.

What does my membership do?

It works on many levels. It provides funding for educational and community programs that happen throughout the year all around Athens, including programs in schools, classes for scout badges and the ever-popular series of Heritage Walks, which showcase different historic neighborhoods around town.

Your membership dollars also support ongoing programs that are a part of the fabric of Athens, such as the Athens Welcome Center, Classic City Tours and Hands On Athens — all programs that also support the local economy while fostering neighborhood spirit.

How can I join?

Turn to Page 23 (the inside back page) for a membership form, or visit ACHF online at www.achfonline.org.

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Home hosts are (front row, from left) Sarah Doherty and Margie Spalding (back row, from left) Katherine Downs and Susan Hable Smith.

ACHF’s winter gala event: Christmas in Cobbham

The annual Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation holiday celebration has successfully developed a community-wide understanding of the value of historic buildings, neighborhoods, and heritage. The holidays are a special time in the Classic City and ACHF adds to the spirit by kicking off the season with a gala amongst historic homes in Athens.

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Winter gala event

This year’s holiday gala, Christmas in Cobbham, cochaired by Alison Abernathy, Greta Covington and Cheri Leavy, features the homes of Sarah and Jud Doherty, Katherine and Bertis Downs, Susan Hable and Peter Smith and Margie Spalding.

“The ACHF’s desire to attract new faces and expose the wonderful historic features of Athens continues with Christmas in Cobbham,” said Special Events Chair Alex Sams. “Last year’s ‘Yuletide on University’ introduced so many new people to preservation, so this is the perfect year to gala on over to the historic Cobbham neighborhood.”

allow us all to stroll along Cobb Street enjoying our gracious hosts opening their wonderful historic homes. Once again, Marti Schimmel of Marti’s at Midday has generously offered to coordinate the food from Athens’ finest cooks and restaurants. Santa’s elves are gathering incredible trips and items for the silent auction.

So don’t miss the best holiday party of the season and a chance to support historic preservation in the future of the Athens’ community.

Tickets are $50 for members, $75 for nonmembers and can be purchased by visiting www. achfonline.org.

Christmas in Cobbham

Sams adds, “My favorite thing about last year’s gala was watching the new members chat and enjoy themselves alongside the patrons that have supported the ACHF and Athens’ preservation for decades. To some, preservation can be intimidating. The gala is the setting for people to enjoy people, in a wrapping of history.”

When:

5:30-8:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2

Where: The historic Cobbham neighborhood

How much:

Tickets are $50 for members and $75 for nonmembers

More info:

visit www.achfonline.org to purchase tickets or for more information

‘Christmas in Cobbham’ is set for 5:30-8:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2. This festive event will HE RI T A GE

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Winter gala event

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Winter gala event

“The gala is the setting for people to enjoy people, in a wrapping of history.�

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This year’s Preservation Matters series, themed “Creative Living in Historic Cities,” features a lecture, workshop and a tour/celebration of the adaptive re-use of historic structures. These activities are designed to show how architectural heritage promotes economic and cultural creativity and how, in turn, a city’s creative class helps preserve historic buildings through adaptive re-use.

Preservation Matters Creative living in historic cities

By David Bryant, Education Chair PA G E

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Preservation Matters

Lecture: ‘Thoughts on Livable Cities I have Known’ The first event of the Preservation Matters series was a lecture Oct. 17 by Jonathan Poston of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. This event was followed by a tour of the College of Environmental Design’s Jackson Street facility in the old Lamar Dodd School of Art building. Poston’s talk, titled “Thoughts on Livable Cities I Have Known,” drew from his experience in historic preservation, including 20 years with the Historic Charleston Foundation and three years as the director of the Southwest office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Fort Worth, Texas. He is now the Georgia Trust’s Director of the Hay House in Macon. Following the lecture, attendees gathered at the College of Environment & Design’s new location. The 1962 Lamar Dodd Art School building, perhaps one of the best examples of mid-century architecture in Athens, was designed

by Atlanta architect Joseph Amisano, regarded by many as the “Father of Modern Architecture in the South.”

This past year UGA completed an extensive rehabilitation of the building, headed by Danny Sniff of the UGA Architects office and Kevin Kirsche of the UGA Office of Sustainability, as well as the university’s landscape architecture and historic preservation programs. Sniff, Kirsche, and architectural historian Wayde Brown were at the event to talk about the building and the project.

The Preservation Matters series kicked off in October with a lecture by Jonathan Poston and a tour of the new College of Environmental Design at UGA.

stone walls. Space may still be available for this workshop; to reserve your place, email achf@bellshouth.net, call 706-353-1801. The workshop is $15 for members, $25 for nonmembers, and includes lunch.

Heritage Walking Tours In addition to Preservation Matters, the Education Committee is concluding this year’s series of Heritage Walking Tours. This fall, we visited the West Cloverhurst/Springdale Historic District, the Buena Vista National Register District, the Navy School/ UGA Health Sciences Campus, Smith Wilson’s traditional Piedmont farm, the Boulevard Historic District, UGA’s South Campus and Oconee Hills Cemetery. One tour remains – the Henderson Avenue Historic District, to be led by John Whitehead at 2 p.m.

Nov. 11. Email achf@bellshouth.net or call 706-353-1801.

Hands on: ‘Stone Walls Workshop’ Brent Kickbush will lead the Stone Walls Workshop 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Nov. 10. Kickbush is a renowned mason who specializes in historic and artistic stonework and masonry. The handson workshop will teach participants how to build traditional dry-stack HE RI T A GE

A visit to Smith Wilson’s farm as part of the Heritage Walking Tours. |

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Envisioning Athens

Downtown master plan project kicks off, seeks residents’ input

By Kristen Morales, Heritage Trustee

If you want a say in the future of downtown Athens, now is your chance.

The Athens Downtown Development Authority recently hired University of Georgia professor and professional planner Jack Crowley to lead a team in creating a master plan for downtown. Right now the team is in its “input process,” which means Crowley and a team of dedicated graduate students are visiting with community groups, nonprofits and, really, anybody else who wants to offer insight into how downtown Athens can evolve decades into the future.

ACHF board members recently met with members of the team, discussing issues such as walkability and navigating downtown’s hills, parking issues and promoting a variety of businesses and activities to attract a range of ages to the area. One thing board members and members of the planning team noticed was the difference in downtown between its local historic district — sidewalks lined with buildings that engage with pedestrians — and areas of downtown with a decidedly different feel as a result of urban renewal projects in the 1960s, where structures north of Dougherty Street were removed. It’s a stark reminder of how historic buildings contribute to an area’s sense of place, but with the opportunity that a new downtown master plan brings, these areas also can be filled with opportunity.

East of the downtown core, for example, is included in the area for the downtown master plan. But because of the hill sloping down to the river, board members noted, it makes walking to that area difficult.

Want to offer your 2 cents to the project?

Connect to the downtown mater plan team at downtownathensmasterplan.wordpress.com, or visit the project on Facebook at www.facebook. com/DowntownAthensMasterPlan.

On the website, you can learn more about the planners and the process, plus find a map of the proposed downtown master plan area, take a survey and, of course, add your own input.

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Welcome Center Update

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Since 2008, the Holiday Spirits Museum Theatre Tour has evolved and expanded a great deal, with a new play (or two) added each year, employing professional actors from near and far, and nationally recognized playwrights and directors. This year’s Holiday Spirits Museum Theatre Tour returns “full circle” with a brand new theatrical vignette planned for the Ware-Lyndon House, where it all started in 2008. We are excited to have a new partner in Athens’ museum theater history with The Circle Ensemble Theatre Company, which was co-founded by professional actor Lisa Mende (of “Seinfeld” fame: “You gotta see the baby!”).

ATHENS HOLIDAY SPIRITS MUSEUM THEATRE TOUR

Brumby House, with actor Richard Smith (ala Spoleto) as the famed UGA president facing new pranks by the mischievous Georgia students. At the T.R.R. Cobb House, actor Kitty Wilson-Evans returns as Cobb family slave. Wilson-Evans has been involved in numerous slave interpretations and won several awards for her work, including the 2011 Keepers of the Culture Award. The TaylorGrady House will serve as the tour’s intermission stop, sponsored by a dedicated army – the Athens Junior League Cookbook Committee – who will host a fabulous spread from their Beyond the Hedges Cookbook.

We are fortunate that each house museum has its own built-in drama (and comedy) embedded in its histories – just waiting to be revealed. Join us for one of three museum theater tours at 5, 6 or 7 p.m. on Dec. 8. Tickets are only $25 each for the 2-hour tour.

Featuring professional theater and refreshments at Athens’ four house museums

VOLUNTEER AT THE WELCOME CENTER

When: 5, 6 or 7 p.m. Dec. 8 How much: $25 for the two-hour tour More info or to reserve a ticket: 706-353-1820

The Athens Welcome Center has two weekly spots available 1-5 p.m. on Wednesdays or Thursdays.

If you know and love Athens and would enjoy meeting people from all over the world, consider serving as an ambassador for Athens!

Our location, the Church-WaddelBrumby House Museum, serves as a key attraction in the heart of Athens’ boutique hotel district.

The new Lyndon House play is sure to please with a “window” into the life of Dr. Lyndon and his lifelong slave companion, “Uncle Peter,” beloved by the Lyndon family. With the Civil War 150 years behind us, the AHHMA looks beyond the “high cotton” days, and delves into a nation split apart, the trauma of war, and the bonds among friends that crossed many lines.

Call or email Evelyn Reece at 706-353-1820 or athenswc@negia.net to learn more about this fun opportunity in a beautiful setting.

Other highlights of this year’s Holiday Spirits Tour include the return of Moses Waddel to the Church-WaddelHE RI T A GE

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FALL 2012 Athenaeum Club Events: Check Facebook or send e-mail to athenaeumclub@gmail.com for upcoming dates.

DAY DATE NAME PLACE Saturday November 10 Preservation Matters: Stone Walls Workshop 140 Pulaski Heights Sunday November 11 Athens Heritage Walks Henderson Avenue Historic District Tuesday November 13 Athenaeum Club Monthly Event The Volstead Sunday December 2 Heritage Holiday Gala: Christmas in Cobbham Historic Cobbham Neighborhood Saturday December 8 House Museum Association Holiday Spirits Tour Historic House Museums

April 5-7, 2013 Hands On Athens Spring Weekend Dates for the following 2013 events are TBD: Athenaeum Club events, Preservation Matters Lecture, Spring Fun-n-Friends, Preservation Matters Bike Tour, Preservation Awards and Annual Meeting

fire hall from the

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should not be designated because it has a more modest housing stock, “unlike Cobbham and Boulevard,” and therefore should be allowed to continue to evolve to realize its full potential as a single-family neighborhood. In other words, developers and property owners (a high percentage of whom are landlords) should be allowed to tear down the smallest scale houses to build larger homes more suited to today’s families, or so the argument goes. I have multiple reactions, but my first is that just because a house is small does not make it architecturally insignificant and, regardless, property owners can in fact make changes to their homes, including major additions to accommodate growing families; the HPC has approved numerous such projects in the past. My second reaction requires the following definition: All buildings in local districts are designated as either “contributing” or “non-contributing.” The period of significance for Buena Vista, determined by the HPC to be 1890-1960, plays an important role in these determinations. Anything built during this period that has not been significantly altered is typically considered PA G E

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contributing. The HPC scrutinizes changes to contributing buildings more closely and is much less likely to approve demolition of a contributing resource, versus a non-contributing resource. With that in mind, here’s my second reaction. The proposed district includes a total of 20 noncontributing developed parcels and 4 vacant parcels, totaling roughly 25% of total parcels. Given the fact that new construction is allowed in historic districts and that non-contributing buildings can be demolished—as long as the HPC approves what is built in their place, there seems to be plenty of opportunity in this district for new development. So, is that it? Well, actually no, but I’ve run out of room. In the next issue of Heritage, I will make some additional recommendations about the designation process, including (1) thoughts on how to better involve neighborhood residents in the process and educate them before designation occurs and (2) suggestions for improving the way we determine a building’s contributing status, a very important part of a designation. And, I’d also like to address the question of whether local districts are dumbingdown architecture in our community.

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