Preservation is good public policy:

• It’s green.  It lasts.  It’s the ultimate recycling.
• Preservation is good business:  It creates jobs.
• It’s the core of Savannah’s tourism trade.
• It’s the backbone of our economy.

Has anyone ever retroactively regretted saving an historic building?  No.  Has anyone said that buying and restoring the Davenport House when it was slated for a parking lot was a bad idea?  No.  Can the same be said about demolition?  Like losing City Market was okay?  Or the Hotel DeSoto?  Or Union Station?  So, if preservation is so smart, then why don’t more people do it? Fear and ignorance.  Fear of the unknown and ignorance of the assistance and benefits available.  In a true “apples-to-apples comparison,” preservation is a legitimate alternative to demolition and new construction.  Let us show you.  It’s HSF ‘s job to reduce the fear and shed light on the information and assistance available to people interested in preservation.  For 55 years, it’s been our mission to protect historic Savannah’s heritage through advocacy, education and community involvement.  If you want to learn more about preservation and HSF…and get involved in what we do, then join us!  Come to our lectures and workshops.  Watch us each month at MPC and the Historic District Board of Review as we advocate to ensure the Landmark District’s architectural integrity.  Learn about preservation easements and consider putting one on your historic property.

Preservation Month 2010

214 East Park Avenue

Unless it escaped you, May was Preservation Month. And in a city that not only prides itself on preserving its history and architecture but gains much of its identity from the same, this was a time to celebrate. Historic Savannah Foundation, SCAD and Savannah Tech hosted numerous lectures workshops and receptions throughout the month, but the response from the community was lukewarm. I can’t put my finger on the reason for the complacency. This is a beautiful city, but the work is hardly finished. There are scores of pressing issues and hundreds of endangered historic buildings on the chopping block. The Landmark District must guard against hyper-development pressures while Broughton Street and MLK still languish. In the meantime, blight and demolition threaten the integrity of our neighborhoods (in particular Cuyler-Brownville, Thomas Square, Eastside and even parts of Victorian) while the city continues to chew up real estate and sprawl to the south and west. Clearly, our work is not done.

And yet, there are glimmers of light. Here are two worth noting: 802 W. 42nd Street and 214 E. Park Avenue. In Cuyler-Brownville, there is an early 20th century, vernacular railroad worker’s cottage at the corner of Bulloch and 42nd. It’s an easy building to miss, but it anchors a corner and is a remnant that helps tell the story of blue-collar laborers who helped build Savannah. It’s a story worth knowing and a home worth saving. HSF used its Revolving Fund to purchase it in 2008 and we are, albeit slowly, stabilizing the building for resale and restoration. Earlier this month, we descended on the property for a workday and partnered with the City, Rebuilding Together and other volunteers to clean up the neighborhood and make some repairs to the property—all the while engaging youth and trying to build a preservation ethic. That was a good day, as much for the camaraderie as the work we did.

Likewise, the now beautifully restored home at 214 E. Park was once a vacant and moribund property (not unlike 802 W. 42nd). In fact, it was slated for demolition and was the subject of much derision by the news media. But again, HSF intervened, purchased the property and resold it to a preservation-minded buyer. Today, an award-winning historic home is back in use and tax revenues are back in the city coffers. It now deserves the same level of media attention, only this time it should be positive.

When I hear about the costly and unnecessary replacement of CAT’s charming orange bus stop signs or historic windows at Savannah Arts Academy, I get deflated. When I see 802 W. 42nd and 214 E. Park, I get elated. Preservation Month is in May. So is Mother’s Day. Coincidence? Our mothers know what is good for us, and the “7 Ladies” who saved the Davenport House and started HSF knew that preservation is good public policy. May has passed, but the rest of the year can be filled with celebrating preservation. Join us.

Daniel G. Carey
President & CEO