The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation awards $10,000 to three historic Georgia sites

The Wells-Brown House is the headquarters for the Stone Mountain Historical Society.

Credit: Stone Mountain Historic Society

Credit: Stone Mountain Historic Society

The Wells-Brown House is the headquarters for the Stone Mountain Historical Society.

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation has named three recipients of its Callahan Incentive Grant, a matching grant given to nonprofit or government organizations undertaking the rehabilitation of a historic building or site in Georgia.

Made possible by Barbara and Les Callahan, long-time supporters of The Georgia Trust, the grant totaling $10,000 was awarded to the Wells-Brown House in Stone Mountain, the Wisenbaker-Wells-Roberts House in Valdosta, and Rose Hill at Lockerly Arboretum in Milledgeville.

“The Georgia Trust is grateful to the Callahan family for its generous donation. We believe the grants contributed by them will help our recipients to accomplish their noteworthy preservation goals,” said Mark C. McDonald, president and CEO of The Georgia Trust. “The projects funded by this year’s grant will allow for the ongoing and future use of these historic sites.”

Wells-Brown House, Stone Mountain

The Wells-Brown House is the headquarters for the Stone Mountain Historical Society. In February of 2021, a 100-plus-year-old tree fell in the front yard and damaged the yard, fence and accessible walkway entrance to the house. The Callahan Grant will help make this walkway ADA compliant to allow the historical society to reopen its doors to the public.

The house was donated to the Valdosta Heritage Foundation in 2000 and is currently finishing phase one of a five-phase rehabilitation. The Callahan Grant will fund the installation of a sprinkler system.

Credit: Valdosta Heritage Foundation

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Credit: Valdosta Heritage Foundation

Wisenbaker-Wells-Roberts House, Valdosta

The Wisenbaker-Wells-Roberts House is Valdosta’s oldest home. Built in 1845, this house predates the incorporation of Valdosta in 1860 and was the home of not one, but two mayors of Valdosta: Jeremiah Wells and John Roberts. The house was donated to the Valdosta Heritage Foundation in 2000 and is currently finishing phase one of a five-phase rehabilitation. The Callahan Grant will fund the installation of a sprinkler system.

Rose Hill is a Greek Revival-style historic home currently used by the Lockerly Arboretum Foundation.

Credit: Lockerly Arboretum Foundation

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Credit: Lockerly Arboretum Foundation

Rose Hill at Lockerly Arboretum, Milledgeville

Built in 1852, Rose Hill is a Greek Revival-style historic home currently used by the Lockerly Arboretum Foundation, whose goal is to “inspire an understanding and appreciation of horticulture, nature, and heritage.” The Callahan Grant will help fund an upgraded and efficient HVAC system, highlighting the Trust’s emphasis on sustainable preservation.

Founded in 1973, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation works for the preservation and revitalization of Georgia’s diverse historic resources and advocates their appreciation, protection and use.

As one of the country’s leading statewide, nonprofit preservation organizations, the Trust generates community revitalization by finding buyers for endangered properties acquired by its Revolving Fund and raises awareness of other endangered historic resources through an annual listing of Georgia’s “Places in Peril.”

The Trust honors preservation projects and individuals with its annual Preservation Awards and recognizes students and professionals with the Neel Reid Prize and Liz Lyon Fellowship. The Trust offers a variety of educational programs for adults and children, provides technical assistance to property owners and historic communities, advocates for funding, tax incentives and other laws aiding preservation efforts, and manages two house museums in Atlanta (Rhodes Hall) and Macon (Hay House).

To learn more, visit www.georgiatrust.org.


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Credit: Jackson Progress-Argus

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Credit: Jackson Progress-Argus

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