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Masonic
Building in Sandersville Receives Statewide
Preservation Award
Building
Site Witnessed Secret Rituals for More Than
150 Years
ATLANTA,
April 2, 2005—The Masonic Building in
Sandersville, Ga., received an award for
Excellence in Rehabilitation from The Georgia
Trust for Historic Preservation at its annual
meeting April 2 in Thomasville, Ga.
Built
on the site of two previous Masonic buildings,
the 1925 structure matches the floor plan of
the original building. On the ground floor
three bays were designed to house commercial
tenants.
The
Masons met upstairs in the building to conceal
their secret rituals. The windows on the top
floor were frosted to obscure the Masonic
activities. The building served as the
headquarters for the Masons, Hamilton Lodge
No. 58 F&AM until 2001, when they sold the
building and relocated.
That
same year, Dr. William Rawlings bought the
building with plans to restore the downstairs
space to its original partitions:
two bays used for one tenant and the
third bay for another commercial tenant. The
original ceiling was preserved, and the
exterior of the building was cleaned and trim
repainted.
Documents
and memorabilia from the Masonic Order dating
back to 1856 were discovered in the building,
and Dr. Rawlings intends to display this
collection in the broad entry space leading to
the upper-level Masonic rooms.
The
upstairs rooms where the Masons meet were
converted into three apartments. These
apartments have all been rented, as well as
the commercial spaces on the lower level. The
Masonic building is part of the Sandersville
Commercial and Industrial District.
“With
the help of a Federal Rehabilitation Tax
Credit in 2003, the Masonic Building has once
again become a wonderful, and vital, addition
to Sandersville’s Courthouse Square,” 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.
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 15 Excellence in Rehabilitation
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 on the award winner, contact
William Rawlings, Jr. at 478-232-8599 or rawlings@pasquamanagement.com.
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