PRESERVATION IN GEORGIA
Preservation in Georgia
Throughout the state of Georgia, there are resources from which students can benefit. Many cities and towns, both rural and urban, promote their local history similarly to Athens, with museums, tours, and preservation organizations. However, there are also important state-wide resources, such as the Georgia Historic Preservation Division, the Georgia Historical Society, and the Georgia Trust.
Georgia Historic Preservation Division
The Historic Preservation Division’s (HPD) mission is to promote the preservation and use of historic places for a better Georgia. This division is the state historic preservation office. Each state has a similar office, established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The HPD monitors federal work done in the state to insure it respects historic resources, administers economic development programs, and works to promote regional and local planning, neighborhood conservation, downtown revitalization, heritage tourism, and archaeological site protection. http://www.georgiashpo.org/
Georgia Historical Society
Founded in 1839, the Georgia Historic Society is responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history. They are a valuable institution, offering educational programs including the radio program Today in Georgia History and the Georgia History Festival, scholarly publications like the Georgia Historical Quarterly, and research services such the oldest archive collection of Georgian history. They also manage the Historical Markers within Georgia. http://georgiahistory.com/
Georgia Trust
The Georgia Trust is a non-profit organization aiming to preserve and revitalize the historic resources of Georgia while advocating for their appreciation, protection, and use. The Trust offers an easement donation program, revolving fund program, earthcraft sustainable preservation program, and public education programs. They also manage several house museums and created the Places in Peril program to identify threatened historic properties to promote their preservation. http://www.georgiatrust.org/