Albany named among ’10 Places in Peril’ by the Georgia Trust For Historic Preservation

ALBANY, Ga. – The Georgia Trust For Historic Preservation unveiled its 2024 roster of “10 Places In Peril” within the state, with the inclusion of Albany.

This initiative is strategically crafted to heighten awareness surrounding the condition of the state’s valuable historic, archaeological, and cultural assets, encompassing structures, buildings, and cultural landscapes.

“When we look at a site for inclusion on the ‘Places In Peril’ list, it has to be first endangered in some way, which could be through neglect, it could be through lack of maintenance, it could be through impending demolition or incompatible development. So, it has to be an historically significant structure that’s endangered in one of those ways. And, then there has to be some potential avenue to save the building by using preservation tools and financial incentives,” said Wright Mitchell, President & CEO, Georgia Trust For Historic Preservation.

The Georgia Trust For Historic Preservation seeks to motivate property owners, individuals, organizations and communities to utilize proven preservation strategies, financial resources, and collaborative partnerships. This collective effort is directed towards reuse, strategic reinvestment, and revitalization of historically significant properties.

President & CEO, Wright Mitchell, provides further insight into the preservation endeavors concerning these historical properties.

“We work closely with our local partners to try and raise awareness for these sites. And, by raising awareness for the sites, we hope to create opportunities for preservation tools and financial incentives to be brought to bear on these sites to ensure that they don’t further deteriorate and hopefully will in fact, be rehabilitated and put back into use as a community asset,” said Mitchell.

Wright Mitchell delves into the details of Broad Avenue Elementary, a site in Albany listed on the 2024 ‘Places In Peril’ list, shedding light on the concerted efforts within the local community to preserve this historic site.

“We always like to have a site nominated by a local partner in the case of Broad Avenue Elementary, which is in the Albany Historic District. That property was nominated by SOWEGA Rising Inc., and they have owned the building since 2019. When they were deeded the building was in very bad shape and had not been code compliant. They’ve done their best to try and raise funds to stabilize the building. They’ve sought grants, but they brought the building to our attention because it needs more support. So, we were happy to be working with SOWEGA Rising to raise awareness of Broad Avenue Elementary and help them realize their goal and dream of turning it into a community resource for a number of different initiatives that they have planned,” said Mitchell.

Exploring the proactive measures available to communities for the preservation and safeguarding of their historical sites.

“So, the first step would be to join a local preservation group, join the Georgia Trust, and then start receiving materials from those organizations and educate yourself on the historic preservation issues that exist in your community. Then, roll up your sleeves and get involved by either volunteering or donating money to help save these structures,” said Mitchell.

De’Andra Jacobs reporting.

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