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Double-Cola
Bottling Company Building Receives Statewide
Award from
Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
Successful
Rehabilitation Project Inspires Local Community
ATLANTA, April
22, 2006 – The Double-Cola Bottling Company in
Rome, Ga., received an award for Excellence in
Rehabilitation from The Georgia Trust for Historic
Preservation at its Annual Meeting April 22 in
Athens.
Built in 1937, the
two-story International-style square building
features a flat roof and buff-colored brick laid
in running bond. Black glazed terra cotta is used
for the building’s window sills, entry door
surround and wainscoting.
The Double-Cola soft
drink company built its first bottling plant in
Rome, and Double-Cola brands were bottled there
from 1937 until the 1970s. The first floor of the
building was originally a large open space for
bottling machinery and storage. A large, brick
one-story rear addition was built in 1947. The
building was sold in 1985.
The entire building
was rehabilitated into a series of offices for
local orthodontist Joseph Vargo in 2004. Prior to
the rehabilitation, the building was in poor
condition, partly due to severe water damage.
While finding information on the building was
difficult, Dr. Vargo received help from the
Double-Cola Bottling Company founder’s daughter.
“The Double-Cola
Bottling Company is a great example of how a
preservation project can positively impact a
community,” said Greg Paxton, president and CEO of
The Georgia Trust. “It’s incredible how one
person’s vision can inspire others to reuse and
preserve historic buildings.”
The spacious first
floor is now used as primary office space, and the
second story has been converted into two
conference rooms. Rehabilitation of the
Double-Cola Bottling Company building has had a
positive impact on the surrounding community,
inspiring local business owners to restore other
historic buildings in the area.
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.
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 seven 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.
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 Double-Cola Bottling Company building,
contact Tierra Bragg at 706-290-0011.
To learn more about
The Georgia Trust and the Preservation Awards,
visit
www.georgiatrust.org.
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