Fox Theatre Institute aids restoration of 3 Georgia theaters; also publishes preservation guide
Sharing expertise and resources acquired during an ongoing restoration spanning more than three decades, the Fox Theatre on Wednesday announced grants to a trio of Georgia theaters undertaking their own historic preservation projects.
The Fox Theatre Institute, an outreach program established in 2008 by the Peachtree Street showplace, also officially launched “The Georgia Historic Preservation Handbook,” a 214-page resource guide intended to aid everyone from novices to seasoned professionals.
The FTI is awarding $50,000 in grants, intended to help leverage investment from local communities, foundations and private donors. The recipients are:
- Mars Theatre, Springfield: Funding will help the 1945 theater, 25 miles northwest of Savannah, to continue a multiphase plan that includes rehabilitating its lobby and adding restrooms.
- Knox Theatre, Warrenton: Support will go toward structural and electrical improvements in this 1936 theater, viewed as a catalyst for downtown growth in the city 100 miles east of Atlanta.
- Schaefer Center, Toccoa: Funding will allow the city of Toccoa, 90 miles northeast of Atlanta, to commission a historic preservation plan for the 1939 former Ritz Theater.
The FTI has previously contributed $135,000 to restoration projects at Brunswick’s Ritz Theatre, Fitzgerald’s Grand Theatre, Rome’s DeSoto Theatre and Athens’ Morton Theatre.
“The Georgia Historic Preservation Handbook,” a collaborative effort with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and the Department of Natural Resources’ Historic Preservation Division, may be downloaded for a $5 donation via www.foxtheatreinstitute.org.
