Home > Business Insider > Archives > 2008 > July > 28
Monday, July 28, 2008
Historical building donated to Tech foundation
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia Tech Foundation is the proud new owner of the historically-significant Academy of Medicine building on West Peachtree in Midtown.
The Atlanta Medical Heritage is donating the 1941 building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, to the foundation because it was no longer able to keep up with its maintenance.
“We just ran out of gas,” said Emory Schwall, president of the governing board. “We loved the building, but we knew it had serious problems. It needs a lot of work done to it.”
The Atlanta Medical Heritage organization donated the building with a few conditions — that it continues to be called the Academy of Medicine, that it be preserved in a way that’s consistent with its historical significance, and that the Academy’s small medical museum continue to be maintained on the first floor.
John Carter, president of the Georgia Tech Foundation, said in an email that the foundation is committed to preserving the building.
“We look forward to having the Academy, a building with major historical importance, as a part of our campus and anticipate it will play an important role in the lives of our students, faculty and staff as well as our community,” Carter said. “The exact use will be determined in the near future.”
Schwall said the donation only included the building on less than one acre of land in Midtown. He said the Georgia Tech Foundation has acquired the adjacent parking lot.
It’s one of the last remaining gems we have left in this city,” Schwall said. “It’s an historical treasure.”
The Academy of Medicine was designed by one of Atlanta’s most revered architects — Philip Trammell Shutze. Coincidentally, Shutze was a part of the first entering class of architecture students at Georgia Tech in 1908.
The building includes a 254-seat auditorium, a library and dining room. A major feature is the Czechoslovakian crystal chandelier that was part of the movie set of “Gone with the Wind.” In fact, Schwall said that GWTW author Margaret Mitchell helped arrange for the chandelier to be placed in the Academy of Medicine.” Photo from the American Institute of Architects
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
