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Whitaker
Street Project receives award for outstanding
rehabilitation of historic Savannah shops
Recreations
of original details once again grace the
storefronts
ATLANTA—Numbers
109 to 119 Whitaker Street received an award
for Excellence in Rehabilitation from The
Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation at
its annual meeting April 17 in Savannah.
Melaver
Family Properties purchased a string of
shops located on Savannah’s Whitaker
Street in 1999. The c. 1891 structure,
originally featured four masonry storefronts
with four residences above. Around 1944,
many of the original architectural details
of the structure began to disappear. Ornate
cast-iron storefront façades were replaced
with brick columns and bottom panels, and
stained glass transoms were replaced with
aluminum plate glass windows. More recently,
tenants have altered walls and created
partitions within the structure.
Following
the 1999 purchase, Melaver Family Properties
teamed with MFI Construction and Dawson
Wissmach Architects to begin renovation in
2002. Together, they have recreated the
original exterior and are currently
renovating the interior. Existing framing,
brick, and plaster have been left exposed
within the building to show how it was
modified over time. When the project is
completed, the lower level will be used for
restaurants and retail, with offices on the
upper level.
The
Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation,
founded in 1973, is the country’s largest
statewide, nonprofit preservation
organization, with more than 8,000 members.
For more than 20 years the Trust has
recognized preservation projects and
individuals in the state who have made
significant contributions to the field of
historic preservation. Awards are presented
on the basis of the contributions of the
person or project to the community and/or
state and on compliance to the Secretary of
the Interior’s Standards for
Rehabilitation.
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. This year
the Trust presented 16 Excellence in
Rehabilitation awards.
Committed
to preserving and enhancing Georgia’s
communities and their diverse historic
resources for the education and enjoyment of
all, The Georgia Trust generates community
revitalization by finding buyers for
endangered properties acquired by its
Revolving Fund, provides design assistance
to 46 Georgia Main Street cities and
encourages neighborhood revitalization;
trains Georgia’s teachers to engage
students in 51 Georgia school systems to
discover state and national history through
their local historic resources; and
advocates for funding, tax incentives and
other laws aiding preservation efforts. The
Georgia Trust is a recipient of the Trustees
Award for Organizational Excellence from the
National Trust for Historic Preservation.
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