Athens, Ga. -The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation announced today that the UGA Marine Institute’s greenhouse and administration complex on Sapelo Island have been placed on its 2008 list of 10 “Places in Peril” in the state.
The designated structures (circa 1925) were built by Howard E. Coffin, automobile pioneer and principal landowner of Sapelo Island from 1912-1934. The greenhouses were used until 1976, and the administrative building was used until 2004.
“This is the Trust’s third annual ‘Places in Peril list,’ ” said Greg Paxton, president and CEO of the Trust. “The locations chosen are not only in peril themselves, but represent a group of similar threatened historic places and represent the broad range of historic resources throughout Georgia. We must never forget that once a historic place is gone, it’s gone forever.”
“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 to reclaim, restore and revitalize historic properties that are in peril.
“This is a big step in spreading the word to a broader audience about the special significance of the Marine Institute and about the new opportunities to help preserve this coastal treasure,” said William Miller, director of the Marine Institute.
Other sites on the list include: the Meriwether County Jail in Greenville; the A.L. Miller Senior High School for Girls in Macon; the Old Clinton Historic District in Gray; the Spencer House in Columbus; the Trinity C.M.E. Church in Augusta; the Adam-Strain Building in Darien; the Sunbury Historic Colonial Town Site; the Cockspur Island Lighthouse in Tybee Island; and The Castle in Atlanta.