UGA Students Document Georgia’s Historic Gems

The FindIt Historic Resource Survey Partnership has been an essential initiative for over two decades, helping identify and document historic resources across Georgia. Managed by the College of Environment and Design’s (CED) Center for Community Design & Preservation (CCDP), the program trains master’s students in real-world inventory and analysis tactics. Through partnerships with organizations like the Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC), FindIt not only supports environmental review processes but also enriches Georgia’s historic database. This collaboration benefits students by providing critical fieldwork experience and enhancing their professional readiness. 

This summer, FindIt was offered a unique opportunity to collaborate with the Atlanta branch of engineering firm VHB, focusing on a comprehensive survey of Meriwether County. The project also included a “field school” to train students in surveying historic resources. VHB historians Patrick Bowen and Ricky Yates, along with UGA FindIt alumna Shelby Reed, provided invaluable mentorship, bridging classroom learning with practical application.  

(L to R) Ricky Yates (VHB, Architectural Historian), Jennifer Lewis (CCDP Director), Syd Makepeace (FindIt Surveyor), Mel Stanton (Findit Surveyor), Nicholas Dietz (FindIt Surveyor), Camie Russell (FindIt Surveyor), Haylee Rose (FindIt Surveyor), Patrick Bowen (VHB Senior Historian and Team Lead), and Shelby Reed (VHB Employee and FindIt Alum).

(L to R) Ricky Yates (VHB, Architectural Historian), Jennifer Lewis (CCDP Director), Syd Makepeace (FindIt Surveyor), Mel Stanton (Findit Surveyor), Nicholas Dietz (FindIt Surveyor), Camie Russell (FindIt Surveyor), Haylee Rose (FindIt Surveyor), Patrick Bowen (VHB Senior Historian and Team Lead), and Shelby Reed (VHB Employee and FindIt Alum).

Training and Preparation 

The summer began with two weeks of in-house training led by CCDP director Jennifer Lewis. Students dove into architectural types and styles, reinforcing their knowledge through activities like “Jeopardy!” quizzes and local resource surveys in Athens. FindIt intern Nick Dietz remarked, “I enjoyed looking at real-life examples of houses. It not only helped me nail down types, styles, additions, and changed features but also allowed me to see things over and over again and has helped me recognize them in the real world.” This foundational training included mastering the art of surveying via paper forms, a critical step before transitioning to digital tools in the field.  

As their summer journey continued, our students’ experiences were captured not only in official surveys but also in a charmingly unconventional medium – a “junk journal” created by second-year MHP student, Haylee Rose. 

This creative documentation method captured Rose’s unique learning journey while incorporating elements like survey forms, photos, and anticipated project dates. She explains, “The first spread in my junk journal represents me beginning to grasp the survey process. I included parts of the paper survey form that, to me, represented a mastery of architectural types and styles. The journal also occasionally serves as a planner and has the anticipated survey dates.” 

A look Inside Haylee Rose's Junk Journal: Syd Makepeace (FindIt Surveyor), Ricky Yates (VHB, Architectural Historian), and Nicholas Dietz (FindIt Surveyor) preparing an afternoon survey plan in Warm Springs, Georgia.

A look Inside Haylee Rose’s Junk Journal: Syd Makepeace (FindIt Surveyor), Ricky Yates (VHB, Architectural Historian), and Nicholas Dietz (FindIt Surveyor) preparing an afternoon survey plan in Warm Springs, Georgia.

Fieldwork in Meriwether County 

Incorporated in 1827, Meriwether County had not been surveyed in twenty years. The 2024 project focused on properties built in or before 1984, assessing their eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places. The survey data was entered into Georgia’s Natural Archaeological and Historic Resources Geographic Information System (GNHARGIS), aiding future infrastructure planning. 

Partnering with engineering firm VHB, students gained hands-on experience in the field, moving quickly from their meticulous examination of photographs and survey details using paper forms to faster-paced methods, often surveying from moving vehicles via iPads. This shift presented challenges, as fellow surveyor Syd Makepeace noted: “…translating our knowledge and training in-office to unfamiliar tech out in the field” required a steep learning curve. Despite this, our teams made impressive progress, surveying 1,300 properties in the first week alone. 

“As I noted in my journal,” Rose continues, “the highlights included discovering stone barns, large cellphone towers, and the Little White House District in Warm Springs. The ephemera I included in my journal are photographs, postcards, old Sanborn maps, and stamps. These items demonstrate a burgeoning familiarity with reading maps in the field, identifying types of barns, and making judgement calls on window types and materials which were some of the things I struggled with during our initial training.” 

(L-R) Pages from Haylee's junk journal, a two-story Queen Anne House in the Neoclassical Revival style, and Camie Russell (FindIt Surveyor) photographing buildings on a dirt road in Meriwether County, Georgia.

(L-R) Pages from Haylee’s junk journal, a two-story Queen Anne House in the Neoclassical Revival style, and Camie Russell (FindIt Surveyor) photographing buildings on a dirt road in Meriwether County, Georgia.

Mid-Summer Workshop and Continued Fieldwork 

Oakland CemeteryBetween survey trips, students visited VHB’s Midtown Atlanta office for workshops and a tour of Oakland Cemetery, a National Register-listed site. They also explored Atlanta’s Inman Park neighborhood, practicing architectural analysis in one of the city’s oldest suburbs.  

Returning to Meriwether County for a second week of fieldwork, our team’s efficiency soared. Each group surveyed over 100 properties daily, ultimately documenting nearly 3,000 resources in two weeks. Memorable finds included intact saddlebag houses, Revolutionary War-era headstones, and promotional material for Georgia peaches.  

By the end of the summer, the team had documented nearly 3,000 properties, developing expertise that will set them apart as nascent preservation professionals. 

Reflections and Impact 

From training sessions to fieldwork, the FindIt Program’s 2024 summer project exemplifies the powerful intersection of education, preservation, and professional development. For those lucky enough to participate, it was an unforgettable journey into Georgia’s rich architectural history.  

For students like Camie Russell, the experience was transformative. “It gave me the ability to actually go out and survey, but it also granted me a window into the career field. Coming into FindIt, I didn’t really know what Cultural Resource Management work looked like outside of the classroom. Through the VHB partnership, I’ve been able to see how what we learned in classes fits into the real world.” 

VHB Senior Historian Patrick Bowen praised the students’ work: “The sheer scope of their work was astounding and left me thoroughly impressed. Over just two weeks, each of the four students transformed into seasoned historians. Their deep understanding of house types, architectural styles, material changes, and rural agricultural landscapes sets them significantly ahead of their future colleagues. I am immensely proud to have been a part of this venture and excited about the bright futures that lie ahead for these budding historians.” 

As they head into their professional journeys, the students carry not only newfound skills but also memories of a summer spent uncovering Georgia’s historic gems—one survey, and one journal page, at a time. 

Remnants of a bygone era where one could send mail, get gas, and buy groceries all in the same building. Located in the Mountville Historic District in Mountville, Georgia (c. 1905)

Remnants of a bygone era where one could send mail, get gas, and buy groceries all in the same building. Located in the Mountville Historic District in Mountville, Georgia (c. 1905)


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