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Jekyll
Island Ruins Receives Statewide Preservation Award
Pre-Revolutionary
Tabby Structure One of Only Two Remaining in
Georgia
ATLANTA,
April 2, 2005—The Major William Horton House
ruins on Jekyll Island, Ga., received an award
for Excellence in Restoration from The Georgia
Trust for Historic Preservation at its annual
meeting April 2 in Thomasville, Ga.
The
Horton House is one of only two Georgia
pre-Revolutionary structures made of tabby, a
mixture of oyster shells, lime, sand and
water. Constructed in the 1740s, the house,
originally used as an English outpost, was the
residence of Major William Horton, one of
General James Oglethorpe’s chief military
aides.
During
the Civil War, the abandoned house was used
for Union target practice, and the only pieces
remaining today are four exterior walls with
window and door openings and a center-dividing
wall.
In 2001, the U.S. Department of
Interior’s Save America’s Treasures
program awarded the Jekyll Island Authority a
$250,000 matching grant to preserve the ruins.
The original tabby was covered with a
protective coating, slowing the tabby’s
deterioration.
Conservation efforts on the house were
completed in 2004, and an interpretive center
is planned on-site to recreate the Horton
House for visitors.
“The
Horton House ruins are a valuable resource
because they prove the importance of federal
financial support in saving our historic
treasures,” said Greg Paxton, president and
CEO of The Georgia Trust.
For
more than 25 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 with
the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards
for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
Awards
in the Excellence in Restoration category
recognize exemplary restoration of historic
structures. An accurate restoration project
depicts the form, features and character of a
historic building as it appeared at a
particular period of time. Restoration
requires sensitive upgrading of mechanical
systems and other code-required work to make
the building functional. This year the Trust
presented five Excellence in Restoration
awards.
With
more than 8,000 members, The Georgia Trust for
Historic Preservation is the country’s
largest statewide, nonprofit preservation
organization. Founded in 1973, the Trust is
committed to preserving and enhancing
Georgia’s communities and their diverse
historic resources for the education and
enjoyment of all.
The
Trust generates community revitalization by finding buyers for
endangered properties acquired by its
Revolving Fund; provides design assistance to
105 Georgia Main Street cities and encourages
neighborhood revitalization; trains
Georgia’s teachers in 56 Georgia school
systems to engage students in discovering
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.
For
more information about the award winner,
contact John Hunter, Director of the Jekyll Island
Authority, at 912-635-4052.
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