Georgia Magazine - November 2017 - 22

FindIt!

historic research
survey program

Architectural students
learn about the present
while helping preserve
the past
BY JOHNATHAN MCGINTY

istory is captured in more ways
than merely in the pages of a
book. Historic resources such as
landscapes, landmarks, buildings and
other structures throughout Georgia
all contribute to the character of a
community as tangible testaments to
its past.
Tucker-based Georgia Transmission Corp. is committed to protecting
these resources, which is why it
helped develop FindIt!, a statewide
cultural resource survey program
sponsored in partnership with the
State Historic Preservation Department, a division of the Georgia
Department of Natural Resources.
The program was created to help
document historic resources in order
to serve as the first step in the preservation planning process.
Surveys are conducted by students at the University of Georgia
(UGA) College of Environment and
Design in Athens. All survey records
are housed within the Center of Community Design & Preservation and
become part of Georgia's Natural, Archaeological and Historic GIS inventory (GNARHGIS). Resource surveys
are the critical first step in the preservation process. FindIt! has completed
more than 15 years of architectural
surveys, chronicling more than 15,000
resources. These efforts have cataloged historic buildings, districts and
landmarks county-by-county, gathering important data for municipalities,
utilities and developers as they plan
for growth and preservation.
In many instances, FindIt! has focused on areas in Georgia that are
primed for rapid growth. While such

The W.E. Johnson Sweet Potato Curing and Storage building is on Highway 27 just outside
of Carrollton. One of the most photographed structures in North Georgia, the old barn served
not only as a storage unit, but also as an early roadside advertisement for Coca-Cola.

growth is important to economic
progress, sometimes it can threaten
historical treasures. By documenting
these locations, FindIt! has gained
valuable information for various construction projects and taken a proactive role in the essential work of
historic preservation.
FindIt! also provides a unique
learning opportunity for students at
the UGA College of Environment and
Design. It offers a hands-on approach
that goes beyond the traditional
boundaries of the classroom and puts
students in the field, giving them
practical experience in surveying
and archiving properties. This gives
students invaluable skills to build
on as they learn about preservation
planning.
"Being involved with FindIt!
greatly enhanced my knowledge of
architectural history and building
trends," says Andrew Stern, a UGA
student who worked with the program. "Classroom learning about
styles, finishes and plans is important,
but there is nothing more affirming
and challenging than being in the
field and having to rely on your own
knowledge of architecture to describe
More online at www.georgiamagazine.org

buildings of all shapes and sizes."
Among the properties identified
by FindIt! team members are historic
districts, buildings, structures or other objects that meet state historical
guidelines or National Register of
Historic Places standards. Some of
the resources uncovered by FindIt!
include the W.E. Johnson Sweet Potato Curing and Storage building
near Roopville, which features a vintage Coca-Cola sign painted on its
side, and the New Prospect United
Methodist Church in Gwinnett County, one of the oldest Methodist
churches in the community.
Participating in the FindIt! program is one way that Georgia Transmission complies with more than 20
state and federal environmental regulations that require the preservation
of historic structures and the protection of wetlands and endangered
plants and animals.
For more information about
FindIt!, visit bit.ly/findituga.
Johnathan McGinty is a public
relations professional with Atlantabased Jackson Spalding who works
with and writes about energy, education and sports.
GEORGIA MAGAZINE

http://www.bit.ly/findituga http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - November 2017