City of Norcross Announces Plans to Condemn Woman’s Club Old Library Building

City intends to condemn Gwinnett County’s first library building days after it was announced that it was donated to the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation

ATLANTA, Aug. 21, 2024 — The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation has been notified that the City of Norcross intends to condemn and take by eminent domain the historic Norcross Woman’s Club Old Library Building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The news comes only days after the Georgia Trust announced that Gwinnett County’s first library building had been donated to its Revolving Fund program, which works to save architecturally and historically significant properties by finding buyers who agree to rehabilitate and maintain the structures.

The Georgia Trust has worked to bring attention and protection to the Norcross Woman’s Club Old Library since it was included on the Trust’s 2016 “Places in Peril” list of endangered historic properties. In 2023, the Club approached the Trust to find a way to ensure that the property was protected from demolition and given a new lease on life that would allow the landmark to stand for another 100 years. The Georgia Trust and the Woman’s Club met with City of Norcross officials several times since 2023, offering them an opportunity to purchase the property at well below fair market value, with the condition of placing a preservation easement on it to ensure its protection. The easement would not have prevented necessary alterations for modern public use, including adding restrooms or ADA access, which was communicated to the City.

“The Georgia Trust was extremely disappointed to learn that the City of Norcross intends to take the Norcross Woman’s Club Old Library by eminent domain,” said Georgia Trust President and CEO W. Wright Mitchell. “The Georgia Trust worked for many months to attempt to sell the property to the City subject to a preservation easement being placed on the building. However, the City failed to identify a public use for the building, failed to timely submit plans outlining their vision for the building, and refused to commit to protecting it with a preservation easement. It was only after the Georgia Trust was forced to look to other buyers who were willing to legally protect the property with a preservation easement that the City of Norcross initiated condemnation proceedings. To be clear, if the City is allowed to take the property by eminent domain, there will be no protections and no restrictions preventing Gwinnett County’s first library building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, from being demolished.”

The City’s current position belies the fact that there has been a 12-month window of opportunity to work in good faith to come to an agreement with the Georgia Trust and take ownership of the property with reasonable restrictions in place, as was the desire of the Norcross Woman’s Club – which owned the building since its construction in 1921. That the City is attempting to do so now, through eminent domain, makes clear that their primary objective is not to protect a local landmark, but rather to gain control of a property with no restrictions in place. It is unfortunate that the City has put itself in a position in which a straightforward opportunity to take responsible ownership of the Old Library was lost, only to choose a more contentious path that will prove significantly more costly to the City’s taxpayers.

For additional information on the Georgia Trust’s involvement and outline of relevant events, see the Georgia Trust’s full statement below.

Georgia Trust’s Statement on the Norcross Woman’s Club Old Library Building
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation works for the preservation and revitalization of Georgia’s diverse historic resources and advocates for their appreciation, protection and use. The Georgia Trust has worked with the Norcross Woman’s Club toward the preservation of their historic Old Library Building since the Club nominated the property to the Trust’s 2016 “Places in Peril” list of endangered sites. The Trust assisted the club in identifying potential funding sources and contractors to make repairs to the property.

In May of 2023, the Norcross Woman’s Club approached the Georgia Trust to assist in selling the property with legal preservation protections in place. The Trust has a longstanding program for exactly this purpose, its Revolving Fund, helping protect over 80 architecturally and historically significant buildings across the state. The Club’s rationale for working with the Trust was clear: 1) transfer the property to another long-term owner committed to its preservation, and 2) ensure legal protections to prevent inappropriate alterations or demolitions. A historic preservation easement is a legal mechanism that provides specific protection to individual properties. Every property sold through the Georgia Trust’s Revolving Fund is protected by an easement.

It is important to understand a few facts about historic preservation as it relates to the City of Norcross:

• The Old Library Building is a contributing property to the Norcross Historic District which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• National Register listing does not provide any protection for buildings – including buildings owned by private residents or municipalities.
• The Old Library Building was at one time protected by a local ordinance that established a local historic district. The City of Norcross repealed its historic preservation ordinance, thereby removing any protections for the Old Library Building.
• The current ordinance only applies to the commercial district. While a provision of the existing ordinance allows for the protection of individual properties, there has been no effort by the City of Norcross to legally protect the Old Library.

Recognizing the significance of the Old Library to the City as a community landmark, the Georgia Trust and the Norcross Woman’s Club approached the City directly in July 2023, offering a sale of the building to the City contingent upon a preservation easement. Mayor Craig Newton, Club President Anne Webb and Georgia Trust Director of Preservation Ben Sutton met at City Hall on July 27, 2023. The desire to find an outcome that protected the building and allowed the property to remain a public asset was the primary goal of that meeting. The Georgia Trust, having the property under contract, committed to not publicly listing the property for sale to provide the City of Norcross the uncontested opportunity to develop plans for a community use. The Norcross Woman’s Club and Georgia Trust were open to selling the property to the City significantly below what was determined to be fair market value.

At the request of the attorney for the City of Norcross, a meeting was held at the property on September 19, 2023. In attendance was Mayor Newton, two attorneys for the City, a member of Council, and staff from the Georgia Trust. Mayor Newton specifically inquired about the ability to subdivide the property, which could not be allowed under a preservation easement. At that meeting, the Trust again reiterated our position that an easement to protect the property was a necessary condition of any sale, however, the City could present its plans for proposed alterations prior to any formal agreement. Immediately following the meeting, the Trust provided the City’s

attorneys with a list of preservation architects and consultants, as well as formal guidance from the National Park Service for new exterior additions to historic buildings (NPS Preservation Brief #14). The Trust also provided the City with a digital scan of the property.

Despite these efforts, the City of Norcross did not engage further in any discussions with the Georgia Trust about proposed uses or alterations. Even with the property being subject to a legally binding contract between the Georgia Trust and the Norcross Woman’s Club, Mayor Newton made more than one effort to engage the Club directly to find a path forward that did not include the protections ensured by the Trust’s standard easement.

Given the lack of progress, in January 2024, the Norcross Woman’s Club determined that the best course of action for their efforts was to donate the property directly to the Georgia Trust, with the clear understanding that the property would be sold through the Trust’s Revolving Fund.

Discussion with the City Planner, both in 2023 and 2024, indicated that the property would be required to meet its current R-100 zoning requirements and that it was “highly unlikely” the subject parcel could be rezoned or allowed an exception to current zoning requirements. R-100 is a primarily residential area with limited other uses. Any grandfathered zoning protections assumed by the Norcross Woman’s Club’s ownership of the property went away when the property was deeded to the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.

Given these realities, the Trust engaged a private buyer willing to work within the legal protections of a preservation easement to convert the property to a single-family residence. While this was not the Trust’s initial hope for the property, it is well within the bounds of historic preservation best practices and would provide the City of Norcross with another property on its tax rolls.

Even still, as the Trust reviewed proposals for the property, the City of Norcross was provided another opportunity in June 2024 to submit a plan for proposed alterations and intended use, and commit to comply with the terms of a preservation easement. Mayor Newton provided a handful of alterations, but did not clearly define a long-term use, nor did he agree to abide by an easement. At that time, the Trust made it clear that it was moving forward with another buyer.

History of the building
Located in downtown Norcross, the Norcross Woman’s Club building is a Carnegie-style Greek Revival structure constructed in 1921 by the Woman’s Club as the first library in Gwinnett County. The Norcross Woman’s Club was founded in 1905 by civic-minded women involved with the National Library Movement. In 1907, the women approached various businessmen and philanthropists, including Andrew Carnegie, for donations to support the construction of a library building. The Club had a set of architectural plans drawn by Oliver Duke Wheeler of Charlotte, N.C., and approved by Carnegie, to fit the lot offered by the city in Dodsen (now Thrasher) Park. Carnegie approved a $5,000 grant, but the city found stipulations requiring their support too onerous.

By 1921, with help from Wall Street businessman and Norcross favorite-son Edward Buchanan, the women had raised enough funds to construct the first library in Gwinnett County. After growing to 24,000 books in circulation and 1,400 registered members by 1966, the library was relocated to a new building and the original building became the permanent home of the Norcross Woman’s Club.

The donated property includes a one-story building with a partially exposed basement. Although the building was not funded by the Andrew Carnegie Library funding program, preservation architects confirm the Norcross Woman’s Club old library building has all the characteristics of a Type-B Carnegie Library Plan. Distinct characteristics of Carnegie libraries include an entry staircase designed to symbolize one’s elevation to learning, 12 to 15-foot ceilings, and windows six to seven feet off the floor. The Norcross Woman’s Club building contains all these elements, as well as the original shelving and librarian’s desk. Of the approximately 24 public and five academic library plans initially approved in Georgia by the Carnegie Corporation of New York from 1898 to 1914, only one is located in Gwinnett County. Overall, the building is in relatively good condition but will need rehabilitation to the exterior and interior, including the replacement of the roof.

About the Georgia Trust’s Revolving Fund Program
The Georgia Trust’s Revolving Fund Program was established in 1990 to provide effective alternatives to demolition or neglect of architecturally and historically significant properties by promoting their rehabilitation and enabling owners of endangered historic properties to connect with buyers who will rehabilitate their properties.

The Georgia Trust accomplishes this goal by either accepting property donations or by purchasing options on endangered historic properties. The properties are then marketed nationally to locate buyers who agree to preserve and maintain the structures. Protective covenants are attached to the deeds to ensure that the historic integrity of each property is retained, and purchasers are required to sign rehabilitation agreements based on the work to be performed on the structure.

About the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
Founded in 1973, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation works for the preservation and revitalization of Georgia’s diverse historic resources and advocates their appreciation, protection and use.

As one of the country’s leading statewide, nonprofit preservation organizations, the Trust generates community revitalization by finding buyers for endangered properties acquired by its Revolving Fund and raises awareness of other endangered historic resources through an annual listing of Georgia’s “Places in Peril.” The Trust honors preservation projects and individuals with its annual Preservation Awards and recognizes students and professionals with the Neel Reid Prize and Liz Lyon Fellowship. The Trust offers a variety of educational programs for adults and children, provides technical assistance to property owners and historic communities, advocates for funding, tax incentives and other laws aiding preservation efforts, and manages two house museums in Atlanta (Rhodes Hall) and Macon (Hay House). To learn more, visit www.georgiatrust.org.

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