ATLANTA — The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation will honor eight preservation supporters from around the state at its 34th annual Preservation Gala on Saturday, March 3, at 7 p.m. at the historic Haverty-Davis House in Atlanta. The “Town & Country” themed gala will feature cocktails, dancing and culinary delights prepared by Atlanta’s top caterers.

 

Event chairs Peggy and John Shepard and David A. Smith promise a night to remember as the Trust pays tribute to these honorees:

 

Suzy and Robert Currey, Sparta
Suzy and Robert Currey have spent most of their working lives in the home furnishings industry, founding in 1969, Storehouse Furniture, which was a highly influential center for contemporary design, and most recently, Currey & Company. They retired to Sparta, Georgia and restored an 1840s Greek Revival house to its former splendor. During that time, the Curreys worked to not only bring back their home, but the town as Sparta as well. They have been an integral part of the Hancock Community Group, established to hold community events and bring the county together. During their time in Sparta, the Curreys have transformed their overgrown backyard into a beautiful and highly productive organic vegetable farm and developed a mushroom-growing operation, Sparta Imperial Mushrooms, across the street in the historic Sparta railroad freight building, which won a Georgia Trust Preservation Award in 2014.

 

Pat and Joe Edwards, Barnesville

Pat and Joe Edwards have worked tirelessly for the benefit of their community and the state of Georgia. Together, the Edwards received the Barnesville-Lamar Outstanding Citizen Award in 2005. Pat, a former teacher, served on the Board of Trustees of The Georgia Trust for 12 years and is a former Chair of The Georgia Trust Board. She was a diligent advocate for the Trust’s Heritage Education program and was instrumental in the success of the Talking Walls program. Joe is the CEO of United Bank Corporation in Barnesville, Georgia. He has served on the Emory Board of Visitors and the Goizueta Advisory Board. Most recently, the couple organized a highly successful Georgia Trust Expedition to Barnesville, highlighting the city’s diverse historic properties for more than 350 Georgia Trust members. The Edwards are also advocates for the Zebulon Elementary School, a 2016 Places in Peril site.

 

Sally and Carl Gable, Atlanta

Sally and Carl Gable have devoted much of their life to preservation. Carl is a retired corporate lawyer and design historian, and Sally was a church music director. The couple owned and served as diligent stewards for Villa Cornaro in Italy for nearly 30 years. Designed by Andrea Palladio in 1552, the Villa is one of the most influential buildings in the world. The Gables wrote a memoir in 2005 titled “Palladian Days” about their experiences restoring and living in the impressive building. Carl served as president of the Center for Palladian Studies in America, Inc. and was on the Board of Trustees of The Georgia Trust and Drayton Hall, an 18th century house near Charleston. Sally has served on numerous boards including Radcliffe College and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The couple has made a tremendous impact on preservation throughout the world.

 

Senator George Hooks, Americus

Senator George Hooks is a former member of the Georgia State Senate. As a chairman of the Joint Legislative Study Committee on Historic Preservation, he led the effort to enhance preservation efforts in Georgia through state tax credits, financial assistance and grants; increased staffing to support existing preservation programs such as heritage tourism, heritage education and the Georgia African American Historic Preservation Network; and encouraged the preservation of specific historic resources such as rural areas, archaeological sites, county courthouses, city halls and the Georgia Capitol. Senator Hooks is a former Georgia Trust Trustee, and The Georgia Trust Public Leadership Award is named in his honor. He was also recognized by the Trust with an Excellence in Restoration Award in 2004 for his role in the restoration of Americus’ Oak Grove Cemetery, one of the oldest active cemeteries in the state.

 

Chris Lambert, Madison

Christine Davis Lambert has been involved in The Georgia Trust for more than 40 years. She chaired the Georgia Trust Membership Committee and hosted the most successful membership party in Trust history. In 2013, she created the Christine and Roy Lambert Programs Fund as part of the From Historic to Sustainable Capital Campaign, an endowment to preserve Rhodes Hall, the Trust’s historic headquarters in Atlanta. Chris was awarded the Trust’s highest honor, the Mary Gregory Jewett Award, in 2015. Chris is a steadfast advocate for the preservation of Madison’s history, living on Main Street for a majority of her life. She has been integral in the creation of the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center and its recent award-winning restoration. She received the Governor’s Award in the Humanities in 2011, a reflection of her service as a leading preservationist, volunteer and philanthropist for humanities in the state of Georgia as well as in Madison.

 

The Preservation Gala is The Georgia Trust’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds from the event will go directly to the Trust’s mission to reuse, reinvest and revitalize Georgia’s historic places.

 

Tickets are $150 for members; $250 for non-members (includes membership to the Trust); $100 for guests under 40. To purchase tickets, visit www.georgiatrust.org or call 404-885-7812.

 

About the Haverty-Davis House

The historic Haverty-Davis house was designed in 1963 by noted architect James Means. This Georgian-Revival home was constructed for the Haverty family of Haverty Furniture and was inspired by the James River houses in Virginia. The brick on the front façade was reclaimed from the Federal Reserve in downtown Atlanta, the columns on the rear porch were rescued from another building downtown. The balusters in the terrace wall above are from a Charleston home and the heart pine floors throughout were rescued from a house in Athens, Georgia. The home was purchased in 2016 by Ernie and Evelyn Davis. Architect Yong Pak of Pak Heydt and builder Michael Ladisic of Ladisic Fine Homes completed contemporary additions to accommodate modern uses while keeping the historic integrity and original design elements intact.

 

About the Georgia Trust for Historic 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 recognizes preservation projects and individuals with its annual Preservation Awards and awards students and young professionals with academic scholarships, 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.