The Buckhead Heritage Society is in the business of preserving the past for the future.
The non-profit organization plans a holiday fundraiser to support its mission of promoting historic resources. The event will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 14 at Beechwoods, the former home of noted Atlanta historian Franklin M. Garrett and the current home of Ann and John Beach.
“We are pleased to open our home for the Buckhead Heritage Society’s holiday gathering and to share colorful stories connected with Franklin Garrett’s life in the house,” John Beach said. “Whether you’re a native Atlantan or a newcomer, we hope you’ll gain a greater understanding of the people who have contributed so much to shaping and preserving Atlanta’s history.”
Tickets are $125 for members and $150 for non-members, and the admission cost includes a year’s membership. The event is open to all.
Garrett lived at Beechwoods, designed in 1949 by architect William J. Creighton Jr., when he wrote the celebrated three-volume "Atlanta and Environs: A Chronicle of its People and Events." A gifted orator who would give hundreds of lectures a year, Garrett died in 2000 at age 93. Hundreds of mourners, including former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson Jr. and former Georgia Gov. Lester Maddox, packed his memorial service. He's buried at Oakland Cemetery.
"When people got to know him better, they came to appreciate his love of precision and his huge desire to use his gifts," AJC columnist Colin Campbell wrote at the time of Garrett's passing. "It was his calling in life to absorb and impart Atlanta's history. Besides, people always begged him to tell them more."
Garrett knew people’s personal details, “families and fortunes and divorces and murders” as Campbell put it, but didn’t traffic in scandal. During his tenure as president of the Atlanta History Center, residents would flock to “Stump Franklin” history trivia events.
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
The Buckhead Heritage Society’s event will highlight the group’s involvement in relocating the historic Randolph-Lucas Home, rehabilitating Harmony Grove Cemetery, preserving Mt. Olive Cemetery and its ongoing work recording and oral histories. “
We also have completed an Interpretive Master Plan for Buckhead, which makes recommendations for integrating historic interpretation into parks, trails, and green spaces in the community," added society president James Ottley.
For reservations or more information see BuckheadHeritage.com or send a check to 3180 Mathieson Drive, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30305.
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