The Historic Preservation Commission and the Valdosta Heritage Foundation are the City of Valdosta’s historic “preservation tools.”

This according to the city’s 1980 Design and Review Guidelines.

Unfortunately, those guidelines do not contain direction for the preservation of the forgotten and neglected African American buildings, structures, sites and objects in our community. Both the HPC and the VHF were created by the Valdosta Historic Preservation Ordinance to “watchdog” the district and to keep it pristine.

The HPC was created years before the VHF. In fact, the HPC had been operating as the original Architectural Review Board since 1980, and it was that board that designated the discriminatory boundaries of the Local Historic District that the Council adopted and made law.

The VHF, on the other hand, was created as a not-for-profit in 1980 to also designate and nominate properties within the LHD.

Back then, and very much today, both organizations mirrored each other often sharing and exchanging board members.

For the last 40-plus years, both the HPC and the VHF have done a swell job doing their job. They have not nominated or designated any property outside the LHD for anything significant.

This means that there are no formerly segregated African American properties located within the LHD; the only district the HPC can legally manage. While Dasher High School was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, it is not protected by the LHD; a situation in which we today sadly find ourselves.

Historic Preservation Commission

The origin of the HPC is sketchy. Minutes from the years 1980-82 show it as the Architectural Review Board.

In February 1983, the name was changed to Historic Board of Review. In August of 1984, the Historic Board of Review then became part of the South Georgia Area Planning and Development Commission and used its letterhead.

Although the name changed for the HPC many times, and there seems to be confusion over the exact date of its origin, we know for a fact the HPC or Architectural Review Board, with some help from the VHF, formed the VHPO; the ordinance we want repealed today.

At the March 1985 meeting of the Architectural Review Board, we find one African American architect, Anthony Payton, now an HPC board member. Although suspected but not confirmed, it is believed Payton is the only African American to serve on the HPC. He served between 1985 and 1986.

Also, at this extraordinary meeting, HPC member, Mike Dover opened it with an alarming announcement. He told the group the Local Historic District and the HPC needed to “reconstitute.” He asked that the members change the name from Architectural Review to Historic Preservation Commission; that Board membership be increased by one to seven and that he and Harold Bennett be elected to the new “reconstituted” board as chair and vice chair respectively. All three proposals were unanimously adopted.

By 1985, we must remember the role of the HPC Board had shifted into another phase of preservation. Most of what early preservationists wanted preserved had been done. They were now managing the aesthetics of the LHD. In order to control this, Certificates of Appropriateness were being processed in large numbers. These applications require detailed descriptions of proposed material changes to property.

Some of Valdosta’s most wealthy, most educated and most influential white citizens were among those who led the Valdosta historic preservation movement.

Dubbed the “Grandfather of Historic Preservation,” the late Harold Martin Bennett was a founding member of the VHF and he served on the City Council that established the segregated Valdosta LHD Ordinance.

Also needed was a banker and HPC board member John Holcomb took over that role. Holcomb’s expertise in banking created funding opportunities for property owners within the LHD to fix up their businesses.

Holcomb was senior commercial lender and senior credit officer for C&S National Bank where he had the primary responsibility for the bank’s entire loan portfolio.

There were two letters written in 1980 that show the mindset of the original preservationists. Perhaps most interesting is an excerpt from this letter written by original preservationist Mike Dover.

Dover’s extensive collection of accolades is impressive. Dover currently sits on the board of the VHF and was a VHF founder.

EXCERPT: Letter Introducing Design Review Guidelines:

“The city of Valdosta and members of the Historic Preservation Commission are dedicated to the proposition that the sympathetic and compatible development of the historic district holds significant financial as well as aesthetic benefits for all property owners in the district and also enhances the quality of life in our entire community. The Commission is pleased to be involved with the preservation movement in Valdosta and desires to work hand-in-hand with property owners, builders, realtors, lending institutions, and others for the betterment of our community.”

EXCERPT: Letter Introducing First Historic District Ordinance:

“Valdosta ‘s original Architectural Board of Review now Preservation Commission, designated the historic district’s boundaries in the Spring of 1980 the Commission felt then as it does now that these boundaries delineated Valdosta’s historical core and provided those resources with a protective buffer.”

HPC members (taken from HPC website):

Members of the Valdosta Historic Preservation Commission must reside within the City of Valdosta and shall include representation for each of the district subareas.

Author: Only five districts are included in the subarea. The traditionally all-Black Southside Historic District is excluded from representation, confirming segregation actively at work. The VHPO must be repealed.

Gwen Sommers Redwine is the founder of the Valdosta Black Heritage Group.