FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Garden Club Recognized for Stewardship of Historic Buildings
Cassina Garden Club Fund Raising Largely Responsible for Slave Cabins Restoration

ATLANTA, April 2, 2005—The Cassina Garden Club Slave Cabins on St. Simons Island, Ga., received an award for Preservation Stewardship from The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation at its annual meeting April 2 in Thomasville, Ga.

James Hamilton arrived from Scotland in 1793 and built Hamilton plantation on Gascoigne Bluff. The set of four tabby slave cabins was built on the prospering plantation before 1833. Today, only two of the cabins are still standing.

The cabins were constructed of tabby, a mixture of lime, water, sand and crushed oyster shells. They all have built-in windows and a central chimney. 

In need of a meeting place, the Cassina Garden Club, decided to renovate the cabins for their use in 1932. They furnished the cabins and landscaped the grounds, and in 1988 the cabins were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Despite their maintenance efforts, major restoration was needed as the cabins deteriorated with age. The club planned to celebrate its 75^th anniversary in 2003, and they wanted the cabins to be restored for the event. 

The club received a grant from the Georgia DNR Historic Preservation Division Heritage Grant program, and Wally Mathis, a retired National Park Service Ranger with an extensive knowledge of tabby, agreed to assist on the project. 

Fund raising has always been a vital component of the Cassina Garden Club, and for decades they have published “The Coastal Cookbook” to raise money for their organization. Sales from the 65^th edition of the cookbook were used to fund the restoration project. 

The rehabilitation included restoring the tabby using an authentic stucco formula. Several sections of the walls were left alone so one could observe the condition of the cabin prior to the restoration. Some of the original ceiling beams were restored, and archeological digs documented the locations of the other cabins. 

The Cassina Garden Club has worked for more than 70 years restoring and revitalizing the Hamilton Plantation slave cabins. The club’s dedication to preserving the historical integrity of these structures makes them an example for other organizations to follow.

“The Georgia Trust commends the Cassina Garden Club on its continued dedication to the maintenance of these important cultural artifacts and its tireless efforts to preserve a disappearing resource,” 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 Preservation Stewardship category are presented to long-term owners who are ensuring the preservation of historic properties through care and maintenance, stabilization or protection. This year the Trust presented one Excellence in Stewardship award. 

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 Anne Caswell at 912-638-0478. 

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