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Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
Recognizes
Chieftains Museum for Stewardship
of Major Ridge Home
1800s Home a Site on the National Historic
Trail of Tears
ATLANTA, April
22, 2006 –
The Chieftains
Museum, Inc. in Rome, Ga., received an award for
Stewardship from The Georgia Trust for Historic
Preservation at its Annual Meeting April 22 in
Athens.
As the c. 1800 home
of Cherokee leader Major John Ridge, the
Chieftains house has been operated by Chieftains
Museum, Inc. since 1987. The independent,
not-for-profit membership organization began a
capital campaign five years ago to restore and
historically interpret the building, which is a
site on the Trail of Tears National Historic
Trail.
“The Chieftains
Museums has shown continued stewardship of the
Major Ridge Home, as well as a strong commitment
to interpret and share the story of the Cherokee
people and their heritage,” said Greg Paxton,
president and CEO of The Georgia Trust.
In early 2004,
Chieftains Museum contracted with the Santa Fe
offices of the National Park Service and
Intermountain Support to produce a thoroughly
researched report on the Ridge House and property.
Through this initial phase, immediate dangers to
the National Register-listed home were eliminated
and the property was stabilized.
The Chieftains Museum
plans to use the report and conceptual drawings
produced by the National Park Service to pursue
further funding to support the next restoration
phase of the capital campaign.
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 Rehabilitation.
Awards in the
Excellence in 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 two Excellence in
Stewardship 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.
Late last year,
the Trust announced its first annual listing of
Georgia’s 10 Places in Peril. 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 Chieftains Museum, Inc., contact Carey
Tilley at 706-291-9494 or
chmuseum@bellsouth.net.
To learn more about
The Georgia Trust and the Preservation Awards,
visit
www.georgiatrust.org.
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