- The Church of the Good Shepherd in Thomasville is on the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation's list of 10 Places in Peril in the state.
- Constructed in 1894, the Church of the Good Shepherd in Thomasville is an example of an enduring commitment to African American religious expression.
- See what other structures are listed in the trust's news release below.
NEWS RELEASE:
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation released today its 2024 list of 10 Places in Peril in the state.
Sites on the list include: Atlanta Constitution Building in Atlanta (Fulton County); Broad Avenue Elementary in Albany (Dougherty County); Cedar Grove in Martinez (Columbia County); Church of the Good Shepherd in Thomasville (Thomas County); Grace Baptist Church in Darien (McIntosh County); Hogg Hummock on Sapelo Island (McIntosh County); Old First Baptist Church in Augusta (Richmond County); Pine Log Mountain (Bartow County); Piney Grove Cemetery in Atlanta (Fulton County); and Sugar Valley Consolidated School in Sugar Valley (Gordon County).
“This is the Trust’s nineteenth annual Places in Peril list,” said W. Wright Mitchell, president and CEO of the Trust. “We hope the list will continue to bring preservation solutions to Georgia’s imperiled historic resources by highlighting ten representative sites.”
Places in Peril is designed to raise awareness about Georgia’s significant historic, archaeological and cultural resources, including buildings, structures, districts, archaeological sites and cultural landscapes that are threatened by demolition, neglect, lack of maintenance, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy.
Through Places in Peril, the Trust will encourage owners and individuals, organizations and communities to employ proven preservation tools, financial resources and partnerships in order to reuse, reinvest and revitalize historic properties that are in peril.
Sites on previous years’ lists include the Eleanor Roosevelt School in Warm Springs, the country’s last constructed Rosenwald School, which received a $700K restoration grant from the National Park Service; Cherry Grove Schoolhouse in Washington, a rare surviving example of an early 20th century rural African American school building in Georgia, was completely restored and received the Trust’s highest preservation award; the Adam-Strain Building in Darien, a rare example of historic tabby construction that was slated for demolition in 2008, is undergoing its second phase of restoration; the Kit Jones, a nearly 100-year-old ship, has been restored and will become the new centerpiece for a park in Darien; and the Milton Historical Society and Chadwick family owners have cleared out the interior of the McConnell-Chadwick House, one of the earliest structures in Cherokee County, with plans to install a new metal roof to stabilize the building—the City of Milton has approved a Letter of Intent to accept a donation of the property to preserve it.
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 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).
Church of the Good Shepherd, Thomasville (Thomas County)
Constructed in 1894, the Church of the Good Shepherd in Thomasville is an example of an enduring commitment to African American religious expression, education and social enrichment in the South. The site includes both a classroom and library that functioned from 1896 to 1964 and was also the site of Thomasville’s first African American Boy Scout troop. Today, the Church provides vital social services by maintaining a food pantry, soup kitchen and community garden.
Neighborhood disinvestment and demographic shifts have left the Church of the Good Shepherd without its large congregation to support the upkeep of the church and its valued social services. Major repairs on the site have been deferred, and the historic buildings have begun to deteriorate, leaving all three buildings in peril. A commitment to preservation is required of the broader community to assist the Church in its effort to maintain its buildings and its history of service.
