10 Georgia historic sites called endangered

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Photos: 10 sites in Georgia on the 2009 list of Places in Peril, released by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Places include the Crum & Forster building in Midtown Atlanta, the Rock House in Thomson and the Mary Ray Memorial School in Coweta County.

The Rock House in Thomson is among 10 historic places in Georgia that are in danger of being damaged or lost, according to a list released annually by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. The Rock House dates from the 1780s and is considered the oldest surviving stone house in Georgia. It's located in McDuffie County.

The 2009 list of places in peril includes the Mary Ray Memorial School in Coweta County. In 1908, the town of Raymond was created in Coweta on land donated by Robert F. and Laulie Ray Shedden. A school was built there in 1909 and named in honor of Laulie Ray Shedden's mother. It closed in 1950, but was used as a community center. Neglected since the 1980s, it now has rotting sills, sagging beams and a failing foundation.

The Crum & Forster building in Midtown dates to 1928. It housed the southern branch of the Crum & Forster Insurance Co. The office building is called a rare example of classically designed architecture in Midtown. The Georgia Tech Foundation bought it in 2007 and plans to tear it down to expand nearby Technology Square.

Campbell Chapel has been the home of Americus' oldest black congregation since 1920. It's a Romanesque Revival Church with Queen Anne style details. It was designed by Louis H. Presley, Georgia's first registered African American architect. It served local students in the 1960s after Staley High School was destroyed by a suspected arsonist. Services have now been suspended while maintenance issues are addressed.

The archaeological site of Fort Daniel, which dates from the late 1700s, was once a frontier fort on Hog Mountain in Gwinnett County. The remains of the fort are currently being studied. The property is in private ownership and nearby property is for sale.

Metcalf Township in south Georgia was once a thriving commercial center. The township has many examples of Victorian-era, Romanesque Revival, and vernacular architecture.

The 1890 Sallie Davis House in Milledgeville was the home of African American education pioneer Sallie Ellie Davis until her death in 1950. The University System of Georgia now owns it, but it has been vacant and suffering from neglect, weathering and vandalism since 1989.

Bibb Mill on the Chattahoochee River was built in 1898. Bibb Manufacturing expanded the mill in the early 1900s and developed the community of Bibb City for mill workers. The company went bankrupt in the mid-1990s. The structure is now owned by a private developer.

The federal style Berrien House in Savannah was built around 1800 for Revolutionary War officer Major John Berrien. The Berrien House has been vacant for more than twenty years. Through the years the site has faced strong development pressures and several demolition permits have been sought and denied.

Tybee Island's Battery Backus protected the entrance to the Savannah River. Six individual gun batteries, built from 1885 to 1905, significantly contributed to Fort Screven's coastal defense. Batteries Gant, Fenwick, and Brumby are nearly unrecognizable following the construction of private residences on top of the batteries.

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The Rock House in Thomson is among 10 historic places in Georgia that are in danger of being damaged or lost, according to a list released annually by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. The Rock House dates from the 1780s and is considered the oldest surviving stone house in Georgia. It's located in McDuffie County.

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