Atlanta Preservation Center records

Collection

Identifier: Y030

Staff Only
Not requestable

Scope and Contents of the Records

Correspondence, minutes, legal documents, printed material, photographs and audio-visual items comprise the records of the Atlanta Preservation Center [APC]. Board and executive committee meeting materials document the governance of the organization. The bulk of the files were created by long-time executive director Boyd Coons. Their contents document all aspects of APC's activities, including education, fundraising, grants, work with allied organizations, monitoring at-risk historic properties in Atlanta, interaction with City of Atanta and other governmental offices, and the day-to-day management of APC, its staff, and properties. The records contain extensive files on the annual Phoenix Flies events coordinated by APC, as well as material about tours and other events hosted by APC. Meeting materials, reports, and notes document Coons' service on the Atlanta Beltline Tax Allocation District [TAD] Committee, 2006-2008. The records include research and records related to the L. P. Grant Mansion and its restoration, as well as other Atlanta buildings and neighborhoods including the English Avenue School, the Crum and Forster Building, Peachtree Heights, and the Rufus Rose House. Extensive files, 1969-2020, document Atlanta buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A large quantity of photographic prints and slides depict Atlanta's past and present built environment, as well as the activities of APC itself.

Dates

Creation: 1889-2024
Creation: Majority of material found within 1980-2024

Restrictions on Access

Collection is open for research except for personnel material in box 13.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Georgia State University is the owner of the physical collection and makes reproductions available for research, subject to the copyright law of the United States and item condition. Georgia State University may or may not own the rights to materials in the collection. It is the researcher's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and obtain permission from the copyright holder before publication, reproduction, or display of the materials beyond what is reasonable under copyright law. Researchers may quote selections from the collection under the fair use provision of copyright law.

Historical Note about the Atlanta Preservation Center

Established in 1979, the Atlanta Preservation Center (APC) promotes the preservation of the city’s architecturally, historically and culturally significant buildings, neighborhoods and landscapes through education and advocacy. Governed by a board of trustees and an executive committee, the non-profit is managed by its executive director. David Yoakley Mitchell has served in that role since 2020. Prior to Mitchell, F. H. Boyd Coons was executive director, 1999-2001. Earlier Executive Directors included George W. Edwards and Eileen Brown Segrest.

APC helps support preservation actively, working with government, business and community leaders and individuals to preserve endangered residential and commercial structures, neighborhoods and landscapes. In 1984, it partnered with the Atlanta History Center and the City of Atlanta Urban Design Commission to create Easements Atlanta, Inc., a nonprofit that permanently protects and stewards historic properties. With the enactment of Atlanta's Comprehensive Preservation Program in 1988, APC began to assist in developing and obtaining funding for historic districts in the city.

The robust education program maintained by APC includes walking tours, interactive classroom presentations, and lectures. One of APC's major educational initiatives is the Phoenix Flies program, established in 2003. Now a monthlong series of events, Phoenix Flies celebrates Atlanta's historic built environment. APC coordinates with numerous of partners who offer scores of free tours, lectures, and other events to engage and educate the public.

Over its history, APC has had office spaces in some of Atlanta's most historic buildings, including the Healey Building, the English-American (Flatiron) Building, and the Rufus Rose Mansion on Peachtree Street. In 2001, APC purchased the Lemuel Pratt Grant Mansion, Atlanta's oldest surviving home. The 1856 structure was severely dilapidated, and APC and its partners restored it responsibly with historical sensitivity. In addition to housing the offices of APC and Easements Atlanta, the Grant mansion is open to the public and serves as an example of historic preservation allowing connections to the past.

Extent

71.25 Linear Feet (in 57 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Established in 1979, the Atlanta Preservation Center (APC) promotes the preservation of the city’s architecturally, historically and culturally significant buildings, neighborhoods and landscapes through education and advocacy. Correspondence, minutes, legal documents, printed material, photographs and audio-visual items comprise its records, which document governance of the organization and all aspects of APC's activities, including education, fundraising, grants, work with allied organizations, monitoring at-risk historic properties in Atlanta, interaction with City of Atanta and other governmental offices, and the day-to-day management of APC, its staff, and properties. The collection includes a large quantity of photographic prints and slides depicting Atlanta's past and present built environment, as well as the activities of APC itself.