HSF’s Preservation Lecture Series helps fulfill HSF’s mission to preserve and protect Savannah’s heritage through advocacy, education and community involvement. The purpose of the series is to educate the public about the  benefits of preservation as well as the value of their architectural surroundings and life style.  Every year a range of topics and venues are selected to highlight the varying aspects of preservation and showcase the different types of architecture that Savannah has to offer. The 2012 Preservation Lecture Series will be sponsored by Cora Bett Thomas Austin Hill & Associates, Realtors and the theme for this year will be “Discovery: Preservation through New Eyes.”

2012 Preservation Lecture Series:

February 29, 2012
The History of First Bryan Baptist Church
Dr. Charles J. Elmore, Professor Emeritus at Savannah State University
First Bryan Baptist Church
575 West Bryan Street, Savannah, GA 31401
6:30pm: Reception
7:30pm: Lecture

To celebrate Black History Month, Dr. Charles J. Elmore will offer insight into First Bryan Baptist Church, one of the most historic African-American houses of worship in the Southeast. Dr. Elmore, author and Professor Emeritus at Savannah State University, is an African-American scholar, born and raised in Savannah.  He has authored several historical monographs and books, including one on the history of First Bryan Baptist Church, and has written over fifty articles focusing on African-American history in Savannah.

March 20, 2012
A Panel Discussion on Mid Century Modern Interiors
Saint Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
10 West 31st Street, Savannah, Georgia, 31401
6:30pm: Reception
7:00pm: Lecture
Mid Century Modernism is a design form that describes mid-20th century styles of architecture typically associated with the 1950s and 1960s. In the past few years there has been a revival of appreciation for this movement and it is a style now recognized by scholars and museums worldwide as a significant design movement.  Join HSF for a panel discussion with local experts in the fields of interior and furniture design as we look at how interior spaces of this period exemplified the ideals of the time.

April 17, 2012
Savannah, What’s Under Your Feet?
Rita Elliott, Education Coordinator and Research Associate with The LAMAR Institute
Kennedy Pharmacy
323 East Broughton Street, Savannah, GA 31401
6:30pm: Reception
7:00pm: Lecture

Rita Elliott is the education coordinator and research associate at the LAMAR Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to archaeological research in the southeastern United States. She has over 25 years of archaeological and museum experience and led crews in the archaeological discovery of the 1779 Savannah Battlefield in Savannah. She will discuss the variety and significance of archaeological sites in the Savannah area and in Georgia, using specific examples as focal points, as well as why preservation of archaeological sites is important.

HSF’s Preservation Lecture series is supported by the Georgia Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities and through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly.