Founded by Historic Athens in 2019, the Athens Places in Peril initiative works to encourage, develop, and guide ongoing grassroots preservation efforts in the Athens-Clarke County area.
Scroll to view our 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019 inductees.
Site Criteria & Nomination Process
On an annual basis, Historic Athens solicits community nominations for that year’s Athens Places in Peril list. Inductees must meet three criteria:
Listed on / eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (i.e. places must be 50 years old or older and look largely as they did originally)
Must be facing a current threat to their existence or integrity
Must have active grassroots support for preserving the site.
Selection & Preservation Process
After a careful review of nominations, Historic Athens selects a list of inductees that represents a balance of urgency, equity, grassroots support, and historic significance. Once a site is selected, Historic Athens works to:
Bring an increased level of attention to the site to promote its history and heritage, and also raise awareness of the site’s current condition
Partner with members of the local preservation community to assess the condition of the site and devise a preservation and maintenance plan
Engage the community and members of Historic Athens by hosting a well-publicized and organized public input session that, with the assistance of the organizers, can function as a fundraiser and planning session for future preservation efforts.
2023
Charlie Williams Pinecrest Lodge
Project Status: In Peril 🔴
Established in 1929, the Pinecrest Lodge was once a beloved culinary gem near Whitehall Road. Now, the restaurant is remote, weathered, and in a state of active decay. Known for its rustic charm and beloved buffet of barbecue, seafood, and more, it was a cherished spot for local families and UGA students. However, since its closure in 2004, the lodge has been largely abandoned. The iconic waterwheel stands still, the front breezeway has collapsed, and the historic house is fading away. Urgent action will need to be taken for the structure - and its place in Athens history - to be preserved.
Wier House / Ellard Hall
Project Status: In Peril 🔴
Built c. 1909, this historic two-story house at 149 Cobb Street is a blend of Colonial Revival and Craftsman styles. Mary Lou Wier, a legendary lifelong educator and former principal of Chase Street (now Burks) Elementary, lived there from the time it was built for her family until just before her death in 1966. Clarke County School District initiated removal of the historic house in February 2023 by placing a sign offering to sell the house to a buyer willing to relocate it. CCSD wants to replace it with a new, similar-sized structure for student registration. Historic Cobbham Foundation immediately contacted CCSD and asked them to retain the house and adaptively reuse it as had been done by its former owners Prince Avenue Baptist Church and Piedmont University. To-date, no consensus has been reached, and the for-sale sign is still posted.
Grant-Hill-White-Bradshaw House
Project Status: In Peril 🔴
Dating back to 1856, the UGA President's House - aka the Grant-Hill-White-Bradshaw House - is a stunning Greek Revival landmark that stands on the brink of an uncertain future. The University System of Georgia's decision to sell this historic residence has raised concerns about future use or, given the lack of current protection provisions on the property, even potential demolition. Historic Athens, acknowledging the house's significance, has advocated for a preservation easement to safeguard its rich history. Serving as the official residence for UGA presidents since 1949, the property at 570 Prince Avenue grapples with aging infrastructure and escalating maintenance costs.
The Bond House
Project Status: In Progress 🟡
Built circa 1893, this Late Victorian Eclectic marvel, featured in "Athens Georgia, A Treasury of Historic Architecture," now grapples with severe disrepair. Located at 198 Dearing Street in the local Dearing Historic Distirct, the Bond House was struck by a recent storm. As a result, the once-majestic residence suffered structural damage, a shifted turret, exposed roof, and broken windows. Despite urgent advocacy by neighbors and potential buyers willing to rehabilitate the home, the site remains exposed to the elements and in an active state of demolition by neglect. Urgent collaborative efforts, immediate actions by the current owner, or sale to a capable steward will be essential to preserve this beautiful architectural masterpiece.
2022
Taylor-Grady House & Collection
Project Status: In Progress 🟡
The Taylor-Grady House, a 180-year-old cornerstone of local architecture and the sole designated National Historic Landmark in Athens, Georgia, had recently been endangered with an uncertain future after the departure of its decades-long tenant and champion, the Junior League of Athens. On September 5, however, the ACC Unified Government voted to install a new group, Landmark Commons, to transform the space into a museum and community hub. Led by Lee Epting, this new effort is planning to increase site attention on African-American history, complete an ambitious restoration of the home, and design an interactive experience for guests. Importantly, the effort was also able to keep the priceless house decorative collection in place.
Reese - West Hancock Area
Project Status: In Peril 🔴
This historic area dates back to the 1860s and was an important educational center for the Black community. After the Civil War, African American families settled into and developed areas near downtown. This community built its own schools, including the famous Knox Institute, in the area. Less than a decade ago, the importance of the area was formally recognized by Athens-Clarke County through the creation of the local Reese Street Historic District. Unfortunately, much of historic W. Hanock remains unprotected. In addition, large scale, unprecedented, and unrestricted development endangers this critically important area’s historic integrity.
Newtown
Project Status: In Peril 🔴
The Newtown neighborhood is located in the west quadrant of Athens, north of Downtown, with the boundaries of Barber Street to the west, the Bobby Snipes Water Resource Center to the north, and the railroad to the east and south. The name “Newtown” can be traced back to the late 1800s and the creation of the Newtown School, a local school for African American schoolchildren that currently serves as the Hurley Funeral Home (see more here). An area defined by rich history, unique architecture, and association with the Athens African American community, Newtown is now under rapidly increasing threat by gentrification, unrestricted development, and lack of designation as a local historic district.
Normaltown
Project Status: In Peril 🔴
Normaltown is named for the State Normal School, a teaching college founded in 1891 whose function was later incorporated into the curricula of the University of Georgia. Since that time, Normaltown has developed one of the most recognizable and beautiful commercial corridors in the area, as well as a distinct and historic residential neighborhood. Although portions of Normaltown area are already recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, the area lacks the most critical form of protection: local historic district designation.
Bottleworks Historic Area
Project Status: In Peril 🔴
This significant historic area - bounded by Prince Avenue, Pulaski Street, Reese Street, and Barber Street - is named for the former Coca-Cola Bottleworks - itself a historic landmark. Surrounded on virtually every side by other already-designated historic districts (including the Reese Street, West Downtown, and Cobbham Districts), this cogent, contiguous, and architecturally rich area meets all the requirements of a local historic district and contains some of the most recognizable historic buildings in the county. Unfortunately, it currently lacks any of the historic protections enjoyed by its surrounding area, leaving it vulnerable to unrestricted development and looming threats of demolition.
2021
The West Broad Street School Campus
Project Status: In Progress 🟡
The West Broad Street School Campus was founded nearly two centuries ago as one of the first educational centers for local African American school children. In addition to the scholastic campus - which contains buildings from each of the key educational eras in Athens history - the landscape also includes the former West End Park, the first African American park in Athens, Georgia. The campus was under significant threat for demolition by Clarke County School District from 2019-2021, especially the components of the campus associated with the architecture and history of the separate but equal (or “equalization”) era. Fortunately, Historic Athens was able to gain support from prominent local African American community leaders, former West Broad alumni, community advocates, elected officials, key stakeholders at Clarke County School District, and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s statewide Places in Peril list. Additionally, Historic Athens was able to work with Georgia’s Historic Preservation Division to have the site (including all landscapes, buildings, and building components) recognized as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and subject to Section 106 regulations. As a result, and thanks to the plurality of support from the CCSD BOE and careful stewardship by CCSD Superintendent Xernona Thomas, demolition plans were scuttled. Currently, CCSD is working to develop a new use for the site that is compatible with its historic legacy and architecture.
120 W. Dougherty Street
Project Status: In Peril 🔴
Now the home of the Athens-Clarke County Planning Department, this notable and beautiful historic site has been the home of a variety of functions for the community over the years. Of these uses, perhaps the most beloved and recognizable was as the former site of the Athens Library. Despite its historic significance and long service to the community, 120 W. Doughtery is currently under threat due to overlapping construction plans for the neighboring redevelopment of Bethel Homes. If current plans were to come to pass, 120 W. Dougherty would be demolished. Historic Athens recently conducted a well-regarded and attended Historic Athens History Hour at the Lyndon House Arts Center on the subject of this site, including the history of the “Moon Tree” located on the 120 W. Dougherty Street campus. Advocates are still working passionately to try and discourage demolition of the building and its campus from the Bethel Homes redevelopment process.
Carr’s Hill
Project Status: In Peril 🔴
Carr’s Hill was one of the first developed areas of Athens. In 1787, Elijah Walker surveyed land for the University of Georgia. As payment for his services, the university gave Walker 910 acres of land including land on the east shore of the Oconee River. In 1817, his daughter Cynthia married lawyer and planter William A. Carr. As a wedding present, Walker gave the newlyweds land on a hill above the river. Historically, the Carr’s Hill area provided workforce housing for White families at the time, while Black residents were typically relegated to more peripheral areas. The Oconee Street School, located on the northwestern edge of the Carr’s Hill neighborhood, was built so that people in East Athens had easier access to educational facilities. This first school was replaced in 1909 with the brick building seen today. After 1967, the Oconee Street School became the elementary school for both White and Black children in East Athens until it closed in 1975. The Oconee Street School is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places (see more here). Carr’s Hill also features Oconee Street United Methodist and a great variety of historic residential structures. Unfortunately, it currently lacks any local historic protections, leaving it vulnerable to unrestricted development and greater threats of demolition.
The Varsity
Project Status: Lost ⚫️
This site - the second Athens location for the long-celebrated and beloved The Varsity restaurant - was a mainstay landmark for many Athenians. Unfortunately, despite local affection for the unique look of the site and the food offered by The Varsity, the site is now slated for demolition. The owners of The Varsity ultimately decided to close the location, relocate local operations to adjacent areas, and transfer the property to new owners. Plans have now been approved by Athens Clarke County for a large scale redevelopment of the area, with no plans to save any components of the former Varsity site.
Legion Pool
Project Status: In Peril 🔴
Legion Pool owes its name to the American Legion and its construction, more than 80 years ago, to the Works Progress Administration. The pool, a collaboration between the WPA and the City of Athens, first opened in 1936 as the largest pool between Richmond, VA and Miami, Florida. In the 1970s, the city worked out a usage agreement that allowed UGA to act as the steward of the pool, allowing it to become a campus feature beloved by students, faculty, and the surrounding community. Unfortunately, Legion Pool currently lacks any formal historic protections and its location in the heart of campus has frequently led it to be a desirable prospect for redevelopment. Past efforts to demolish the pool have been thwarted thanks to community advocacy and extant questions as to the true ownership of the pool itself (many claim that the pool itself is still the legal property of the City of Athens), but supporters of the pool have recently raised alarms about resurfacing redevelopment efforts by university administration. For more information, visit http://savelegionpool.org
2020
West Downtown
Project Status: Saved 🟢
This section of downtown west of Lumpkin street has a rich history as the center of Black commerce in the early 20th century, then as a hub for car sales and repairs in the automobile age, and more recently as the heart of the Athens music scene. Despite this area’s inclusion in the Downtown Athens district recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, it was controversially left off the local historic district created in 2006. Thankfully, grassroots advocacy efforts persevered. A series of actions - including the area being named to the Athens Places in Peril list, a downtown demolition moratorium, community petitions, outreach efforts by Historic Athens members, and passionate support by local property owners and elected officials - led to a new West Downtown Historic District in 2021.
Sandy Creek Pumping Station
Project Status: In Progress 🟡
Hidden in the woods along the North Oconee River Greenway is this modern day architectural gem, with Roman details and arched windows reminiscent of City Hall. Built by architect and city engineer J.W. Barnett in 1916, the pump station brought water from a reservoir to the growing population of Athens. It sat unused and inaccessible until the construction of the Greenway and pedestrian bridge over Sandy Creek. At a recent public event by Historic Athens in support of the Pumping Station, staff from Athens-Clarke County’s Unified Government expressed increased commitment by the city for the station. This has included a new roof, grounds maintenance, and removal of irrevocably damaged and rotting portions of the site. While this is promising progress, the site still lacks any significant plan for future use or preservation.
357 S. Milledge Ave
Project Status: In Peril 🔴
This Tudor-style house, distinguishable by its multi-panneled windows, half-timber exterior facade, and earth-tone overhangs, was built to last. Home to the Beta Theta Pi chapter and Sigma Pi chapters at the University of Georgia until 2004, the house has since been boarded up and suffers from neglect. Despite considerable interest from potential purchasers who wish to acquire and rehabilitate the site, there has been no progress in convincing the current owner to place the site on the market or proceed with a plan of their own to preserve the home. Currently in violation of a number of ACC ordinances / statutes, the site exists in a state of demolition by neglect, transforming gradually into an eyesore and active nuisance among some of the area’s most recognizable and beautiful historic homes.
St. James Baptist Church Cemetery
Project Status: In Progress 🟡
Located at 125 Roberts Road, the St. James Baptist Church Cemetery, constructed during the 19th century, is an African American cemetery that includes the remains of people born into slavery, of sharecroppers marked with hand-carved stones, of prosperous families marked with granite monuments, of veterans of American wars, and others whose names and memorials have been lost to time. This cemetery is overgrown, undermarked, and in need of care to endure the proper respect for those interred within. Since being recognized on the Athens Places in Peril list, St. James Cemetery has received an increase in attention and local grassroots efforts, including two site-planning projects funded by the Watson Brown foundation, a submitted nomination to ACC-UG for local landmark designation, and - thanks to the efforts of Rep. Spencer Frye and Habitat for Humanity - new and improved signage that helps prevent one of the most consistent forms of damage on the site: passersby mistaking the site as an abandoned lot appropriate for waste disposal. Additional work must be done for site security and preservation, but St. James Cemetery is actively progressing as a community-led preservation project.
Judia C. Jackson Harris School
Project Status: In Peril 🔴
Located at 2685 Danielsville Road, the Judia C. Jackson Harris School, once known as the Model and Training Institute, was one of the first suburban schools for African Americans during the Jim Crow era. A fire burned down the original schoolhouse in 1925, but Black and white residents worked to rebuild it, receiving help from the Rosenwald Fund, founded by Jewish businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald to build thousands of Black schools across the South. Although the building has a current active use as a nightclub and community meeting place, it is imperiled by lack of active preservation, modifications that disrupt its historic integrity, maintenance concerns, and any distinct plan for additional rehabilitation.
2019
Beech Haven
Project Status: In Progress 🟡
This 149-acre historic landscape runs along the Middle Oconee River. The stunning (Arts and Crafts style) historic house, bridges, and stone sculptures on the property help distinguish it as one of the most unique historic spaces in the region. Located in the heart of the largest remaining hardwood forest in Athens, the site’s history is defined by its association with the Rowland family, who oversaw its construction, used it as a family retreat for decades, and ultimately - and generously - donated the site to the City of Athens. Adding additional historic value to the site, a number of the key historic structures were designed and built by African-American master craftsmen such as Ike Osbourne and Jim Glenn. The property is surrounded by gardens and stone sculptures influenced by Charles Rowland’s early 1900s travels to Asia. These beautiful structures need maintenance, preservation, and rehabilitation. Fortunately, Historic Athens was able to raise nearly $80K to stabilize the home and iconic crescent moon bridge, then coordinate with a variety of key local stakeholders to prepare a successful SPLOST 2020 proposal that has allocated nearly $4m to help transform the site into a public park. Full site planning for the park must be completed before Historic Athens can update this place as saved, but all signs point to a bright future for this key historic landscape.
Frank C. Maddox Center
Project Status: In Peril 🔴
Located at 165 Magnolia St., this site was constructed by African American veterans and served as a meeting place for black veterans and a community center. It then became The Frank C. Maddox Community Center, Athens’ first licensed daycare for African American children. This building was the center of the African-American community in the West Broad area for over 50 years. It first served as an American Legion post for World War II veterans, hosting a multitude of celebratory events including performances by James Brown and B.B. King. In the 1960s, Greater Bethel held services there after its original sanctuary burned down. In the mid-1960s, it became Athens’ first daycare for Black children, but it closed in 1996. Now in rapidly deteriorating condition, The building is currently in need of stabilization and rehabilitation. Recently, Historic Athens secured funds from the Watson Brown Foundation for a preservation plan by Arcollab architects. Historic Athens, alongside the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, has been actively working with the ministerial team at Greater Bethel to help find a longtime steward, develop a capital campaign, and put a preservation effort in progress. Recent developments - hopefully to be announced in early 2023 - have suggested a promising path forward for the site.
Central Baptist Cemetery
Project Status: Saved 🟢
The Central Baptist Cemetery lies on a site that was given to the African American community for a church before the first deed books were recorded at the Clarke County Courthouse.There are just three gravesites, one marker, concrete steps, the church’s foundation, an old well, and debris from a burned house. Further archeological studies are needed to determine more graves and the location of the original church. At the time of its nomination, the cemetery had no defined owner and active concerns about development and utilities work on the adjacent lot, which shared the same property parcel number. Overall, the site was imperiled by stabilization, ownership determination, and site security. Fortunately, thanks to efforts chaired by Winterville resident Kim Burch and supported by several key community leaders, including Winterville Mayor Dodd Ferrelle, ownership and development concerns were resolved. Once saved, the site was then marked using a new public signage system created by the City of Winterville specifically for Central Baptist Cemetery.
Reese Street School
Project Status: In Progress 🟡
The Reese Street School at 496 Reese St. opened in 1914 for black students, becoming the first public high school for black students in GA in 1916 and the second to be accredited in 1922. The main two-story building still stands, bought by The Athens Masonic Association in 1968. The building is currently in active use by the AMA, which has lovingly stewarded and rehabilitated the site. While continually improved thanks to the passionate efforts of the Athens Masonic Association, this site still requires significant community investment to ensure a full rehabilitation and long-term future.
Whitehall
Project Status: In Peril 🔴
An incorporated town until the late 1960s, Whitehall is now a part of Athens-Clarke County. The Whitehall Community is a neighborhood around the Whitehall Yarn Mill on the North Oconee River, founded around 1830. It includes typical “mill worker” houses, two churches, the remains of the original mill, the main mill complex, and the Whitehall Mansion. The textile mill on the North Oconee River built in 1832 was renovated into lofts. Whitehall mansion, an impressive brick home completed just 60 years later, sits on land owned by UGA and is maintained by the university. Both places are on the National Register of Historic Places. However, despite that recognition and an impressive and active HOA at the Whitehall Condominiums in the former Whitehall Mill, much of the surrounding area is threatened by unrestricted development, non-occupied historic structures, and demolition requests.
Billups Grove School Building
Project Status: In Progress 🟡
Near the Billups Grove Baptist Church (and beside the Athens-Clarke County county landfill off Lexington Road) is a one-room wooden schoolhouse where African-American children were educated during the Jim Crow era. Fred Smith, a local Athens Historian, believes the school closed in the 1950s when Athens began to build better brick schools for Black students in response to desegregation efforts. At one point there was an effort made to move the schoolhouse to Hilsman Middle School but that never came to fruition. Currently, the wooden structure is abandoned, plus threatened by overgrowth and deterioration. Other concerns include questions of ownership, a permanent location and use, and stabilization/rehabilitation. Fortunately, recent advocacy on behalf of Historic Athens, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, Billups Grove Baptist, and ACC-UG have led to productive discussions about the site’s future. In the immediate future, ACC-UG is exploring blazing trail access from Billups Grove Baptist to the site. In addition, it has been confirmed that ACC recently invested in a new roof for the building, extending the life of the site and buying additional time for future use and preservation.
Acknowledgements
The Athens Places in Peril initiative was founded by Historic Athens in 2019 and inspired by similar initiatives throughout the state of Georgia, including the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual statewide Places in Peril list and Historic Macon’s Fading Five program