THOMASVILLE — A Valdosta building received a statewide preservation award. One of five South Georgia buildings to be recognized.

The Coleman-Talley offices in Valdosta was recognized earlier this year along with the historic Thomasville Post Office, Thomasville; New Albany Hotel, Albany; Leesburg Train Depot, Leesburg; the H.H. Tift Building and Agricultural Research Building, the Tifton campus of the University of Georgia.

The buildings received statewide preservation awards from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation during its 42nd annual Preservation Awards ceremony in Thomasville.

All five buildings received awards for excellence in rehabilitation, which recognizes projects that make compatible use of a building through repair, alterations or additions while preserving features of the property that convey its historic value. This year the Trust presented 18 excellence in rehabilitation awards.

Coleman Talley Offices, 109-111 S. Ashley St., Valdosta.

• Built in 1897 and 1902, these buildings began as a wholesale grocery store and paint supplier but had for many years remained unimproved. The recent rehabilitation project by the law firm Coleman Talley represents the second largest private investment in the Historic Valdosta Commercial District. 

Retained historic elements include an early 1900s fireproof vault, hanging gears from two freight elevators, decorative railing and staircases. 

Alterations included adjoining the two buildings with the addition of an elevator and staircase and modernizing office space. Throughout the building’s interior, decorative touches salute the building’s rich history including past tenants such as Coca-Cola, a furniture store and a salvage company.

Historic Thomasville Post Office, 135 N. Broad St., Thomasville.

• The Historic Thomasville Post Office was built in 1914 and served as the city’s post office until 1964. In 2015, Flowers Foods purchased the historic building and began a full rehabilitation. Extensive trenching and roof repairs were made to waterproof the building. 

Using the original building plans as reference, the front doors and the outside of the building were restored to their 1915 appearance. The lobby’s classic features, including the flooring, windows, wainscoting, pilasters, and the historic staircase were preserved. The postmaster’s secret walkway also was maintained. 

On the lower level, wooden chevron-patterned doors were restored, windows uncovered, original brick walls and concrete ceiling retained. On the second floor, the terrazzo stone floor with Tennessee pink marble stone borders and baseboards, rift-cut heart pine floors, original windows, doors and hardware were restored. 

New HVAC, plumbing and electrical, and the installation of an elevator shaft provided Flowers Foods with the amenities of a modern facility for office space and a history exhibit in the lobby—all inside a building that matches the history of their company.

New Albany Hotel, 249 Pine Ave., Albany.

• In the 1920s, Albany was a major hub of railroad activity where seven rail lines and over thirty-five trains passed through the city each day. Hotels were sorely needed, and in 1925, the New Albany Hotel was built. 

Constructed in the Georgian Revival style, the hotel recently underwent a rehabilitation that included the cleaning and repairing of all exterior masonry and restoration of historic windows where possible. Inside, plaster ceilings were retained, repaired and repainted. Historic ceilings with cedar beams in the first-floor sitting area and central lobby were refinished. 

Modern conveniences are now in place throughout the building as it serves downtown Albany as an apartment complex.

Leesburg Train Depot, Leesburg.

• Built in 1895, the Leesburg Train Depot originally served the Central of Georgia Railway. In 2006, the structure was severely damaged during a storm and fell into disrepair. 

The City of Leesburg, with help from a GDOT grant and local SPLOST funds, saved the building from imminent collapse. Beadboard ceilings in the office and ticket areas were restored. All original heart pine windows were restored, reglazed and painted. The original heart pine floors in the warehouse cargo area were refinished and the sliding cargo doors were reworked. 

The depot serves as the home for the Lee County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Authority.

H.H. Tift Building and Agricultural Research Building, Tifton campus of the University of Georgia.

• The two earliest buildings on the University of Georgia Tifton Campus, constructed in 1922 and 1937, respectively, had suffered years of weather and wear, leading to significant deterioration. Recent campus growth required more space for scientists and support offices, and reclaiming these historic buildings became imperative. 

The exterior envelopes of each building were restored to the original designs using the original drawings and archival photographs. The existing brick and stucco were repaired, re-pointed and cleaned. The wood widows of the Tift Building and steel windows of the Agricultural Research Building were carefully restored and reglazed. Original features such as beadboard ceilings and wainscoting were preserved along with the original transoms above the doors. The buildings were also made accessible with the addition of handicapped ramps and elevators. 

These early campus buildings now accommodate faculty and departmental offices while retaining their historic integrity.

For more than 40 years, the Trust has recognized preservation projects and individuals throughout Georgia who have made significant contributions to the field of historic preservation. 

Awards are presented on the basis of the contributions of the person or project to the community and/or state and on compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Founded in 1973, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is one of the country’s leading statewide, nonprofit preservation organizations. The Trust works for the preservation and revitalization of Georgia’s diverse historic resources and advocates their appreciation, protection and use. 

The Georgia 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 about The Georgia Trust and the Preservation Awards, visit www.georgiatrust.org.