Edgemon recognized for role in rehabilitation of Chattooga Academy

LaFayette’s Main Street and Economic Development director was recently recognized for her role in the rehabilitation of Chattooga Academy, believed to be the state’s oldest remaining brick schoolhouse.

The Historic Preservation Division, or HPD, of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources on May 5 recognized Catherine Edgemon at its 13th annual Preservation Achievement Awards in Atlanta. Edgemon was among five award recipients recognized for their contributions while working in conjunction with HPD and its programs, according to HPD.

These individuals and organizations were nominated by HPD staff members and are recognized as having helped further HPD’s mission, vision and goals, and thereby made a significant contribution to historic preservation in Georgia.

The City of LaFayette recently completed the rehabilitation and restoration of Chattooga Academy, built in 1836, which will house a small museum and the city’s Main Street and Economic Development Department. The building served as Confederate Gen. Bragg’s headquarters as he prepared for the Battle of Chickamauga and was dedicated to John B. Gordon, a former student who went on to serve as a Confederate general, U.S. senator and Georgia governor.

Other Preservation Achievement Award recipients were Dennis Blanton, curator of Native American archaeology at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta; W. James Green and Lillian Davis of Hubbard Alumni Association Inc., Forsyth; Richard Laub, director of Georgia State University’s graduate program in Heritage Preservation; and a group of Georgia State University graduate students in the Heritage Preservation program for compiling the supporting documentation for the National Register nomination of the Collier Heights Historic District, an Atlanta suburb.

The Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources serves as Georgia’s state historic preservation office. Its mission is to promote the preservation and use of historic places for a better Georgia.

HPD’s programs include archaeology protection and education, environmental review, grants, historic resource surveys, tax incentives, community planning, technical assistance and the National Register of Historic Places.

For more information, call HPD at (404) 656-2840 or visit www.gashpo.org.

Georgia Historic Preservation Month

The LaFayette City council was asked to pass a resolution at its Monday meeting recognizing May 2009 as Georgia Historic Preservation Month.

The resolution states that “Georgia Historic Preservation Month provides an opportunity for citizens of all ages and from all walks of life to recognize the important role that historic preservation plays in individual lives and in communities.”

As a Main Street city, the resolution states, “the City of LaFayette promotes historic preservation as a tool for downtown revitalization, recently completed rehabilitating and restoring historic Chattooga Academy, has established a historic preservation commission, collaborates with local teachers to educate children about local history and historic buildings, and strives to educate the community about the importance of preserving historic resources.”

This Place Matters! is the theme for Georgia Historic Preservation Month, cosponsored by the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, The Georgia Trust, and other local preservation and neighborhood organizations throughout Georgia.