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Memorial
Park Building Receives
Statewide Preservation Award
Former
Tuberculosis Facility One of the Earliest
Racially Integrated Hospitals
ATLANTA,
April 2, 2005—The Memorial Park Operations
Building in Athens, Ga., received awards for
Excellence in Rehabilitation from The Georgia
Trust for Historic Preservation at its annual
meeting April 2 in Thomasville, Ga.
Originally
constructed as the Fairhaven Hospital for
tuberculosis patients in 1925, the building
consists of two wings and is one of the few
surviving examples of the Spanish Colonial
Revival style in Clarke County.
Light
and air were considered integral for the
treatment of tuberculosis; so, numerous
windows dot the stucco walls.
Fairhaven
Hospital was ahead of its time because it
allowed both white and black tuberculosis
patients to be treated. It was one of the
earliest racially integrated medical
facilities in Georgia.
In
the 1930s the hospital closed, and the
building was reopened as a park facility. An
open space was created in the south wing to
house a Recreation Hall in the 1950s; the
interior of the north wing was left relatively
unchanged, as was the exterior of the
building.
The
building was originally scheduled for
demolition, but the Athens-Clarke County
Historic Preservation Commission identified
its historic value and saved it from
destruction.
During
rehabilitation, which was overseen by Lord,
Aeck & Sargent Architecture, an addition
was added to house The Athens Creative
Theater. This addition is only noticeable from
the west side of the building.
Rehabilitation
efforts brought the Operations Building back
to its 1920s appearance, while updating it for
current users. In the original structure, the
floor plan and tile roof were maintained and
restored, while the restrooms were made
handicap-accessible.
The
$1.6 million renovation of the Memorial Park
Operations Building was funded by SPLOST,
Athens-Clarke County’s Special-Purpose Local
Options Sales Tax.
In
2004 the building received an award from the
Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation for
Outstanding Rehabilitation.
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 to
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 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 Memorial Park
Operations Building, contact Evelyn Reece, the
historic preservation planner, at
706-613-3515.
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