May/June 2002 - The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation

2002 Preservation AwardsExcellence in RestorationBlock-Coleman-Porter-Lovett House, MaconOwners: Mr. and Mrs. L. Robert LovettNominator: Intown Macon Neighborhood Assoc.The Block-Coleman-Porter-Lovett House was builtin 1906-08 for the Nicholas Block family. In 1949, theproperty was partitioned into a boarding house. Bythe 1970s, the building was in such disrepair fromyears of neglect and a damaging fire that it wasconsidered a candidate for demolition. In 1997, Boband Carole Lovett purchased the house with thedream of restoring it to a single family residenceonce again. Working with design assistance fromarchitect Gene Dunwoody, Jr., the partitions, baths and kitchens were removed, missing wood railingsand balusters were replicated, and original light fixtures found in the attic were cleaned and rehung.The Lovetts continue to restore the home and have located and purchased many of the originalpieces of furniture and decorative pieces.The Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson, AugustaOwner: Historic Augusta, Inc.Nominator: John C. Hagler IIITen years of planning, fundraising and meticulous restoration went intothe preservation of The Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson.The 1859 Presbyterian Manse depicts the life of the 28th president of theUnited States growing up during the Civil War and Reconstruction.Architect Norman Davenport Askins, preservationist Erick D. Montgomeryof Historic Augusta, Inc., Dr. David Crass, Archaeologist, andlandscape architects Hugh and Mary Palmer Dargan completed a studyin 1994 that concluded the highest and best use for this site was to tellthe unique story of Woodrow Wilson’s youth, since he was the firstSoutherner elected to the presidency following the Civil War. This projectcombines the disciplines of architecture, history, archaeology, landscapehistory and Victorian interior design to recreate a rare and credible lookinto a sophisticated Georgia household in the 1860s.Davis-McCoy-Burton House, AugustaOwners: David and Susan BurtonNominators: Dr. and Mrs. Robert R. Nesbit, Jr.The Davis-McCoy House was built in the 1830s andmoved to its current location in the 1890s. The homehas housed the same family for many generations, andseveral alterations to the original floor plan haveoccurred since the family moved out. One alterationresulted in the home being separated into four apartmentsin the 1930s. The Burton family bought thehouse in April 1996 and promptly began the initial rescuework. When the family could not find a buyer, they undertook the complete restoration, includingmaking the home handicap-accessible for their son. Repairs included the careful restoration ofthe house’s exterior trim that adorns the full front porches. One of the front rooms is now an officewith paneling and bookcases of heart pine recycled from wood available on the premises.