HSF leader: With COVID-19 restrictions easing, come celebrate Savannah's preservation legacy

Sue Adler
·4 min read

Sue Adler is president and CEO of the Historic Savannah Foundation.

May is National Historic Preservation Month, which is always an exciting month for the team here at Historic Savannah Foundation, as well as our members, supporters and community stakeholders who believe in our mission of saving buildings, places and stories that define Savannah’s past, present and future.

However, this year’s Preservation Month observance is especially significant, as it marks the first time in two years that we’ve been able to commemorate the month and celebrate in person.

The 2020 and 2021 observances were held virtually, due to safety concerns pertaining to COVID-19. While everyone involved did an exceptional job of marking the occasion as best they could with the help of technology, we sure missed gathering in person to celebrate all the impacts and importance of historic preservation in our beautiful city.

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So, we’re back and better than ever for May 2022 with a whole slate of exciting events designed to highlight recent accomplishments in historic preservation and signify our investment in the future. Furthermore, we’re pleased with the collaborative efforts within the community that we’ve been working hard to establish.

The City of Savannah has become an invaluable partner in our quest to protect and maintain the Hostess City’s historic assets and status. In fact, I’m honored to go before City Council on May 12 to present a Historic Preservation Month proclamation for Mayor Van Johnson to sign. Support from the city’s leadership has been wonderful, and we look forward to continuing this beneficial collaboration.

The Thomas Gamble Building, 4-10 E. Bay St., undated. Item 8126-006_02-1-0623, Metropolitan Planning Commission Historic Preservation Photographs.
The Thomas Gamble Building, 4-10 E. Bay St., undated. Item 8126-006_02-1-0623, Metropolitan Planning Commission Historic Preservation Photographs.

We cordially invite the community to join in the fun and celebrate with us at our three in-person events in May.

We have the Preservation Awards Ceremony and Reception at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 3, at the Charles H. Morris Center, where we’ll enjoy a brief presentation, food trucks, wine and beer, and a chance to mingle and network.

Our Realtors’ Historic Preservation Leadership Course on Friday, May 13 at the Thompson Hotel offers real estate agents and those in related fields a chance to earn CEU credits while learning to become better-informed stewards of historic properties.

To conclude the month, our Wine and Trolley Tour on Friday, May 20 at 5 p.m. begins at the Green-Meldrim House with wine, hors d’oeuvres and live music by Bay Street Cabaret. Then attendees head out on trolleys traveling two different loops, each of which contains various stops at HSF Revolving Fund properties.

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Special Photo Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF), a leading preservation organization committed to preserving and protecting Savannah's heritage, recently sold a major HSF Revolving Fund property located at 1004 E. Park Avenue in Savannah’s Eastside National Register Historic District, to local designer Lonnie Coulter.
Special Photo Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF), a leading preservation organization committed to preserving and protecting Savannah's heritage, recently sold a major HSF Revolving Fund property located at 1004 E. Park Avenue in Savannah’s Eastside National Register Historic District, to local designer Lonnie Coulter.

While it’s always fun to gather in the company of friends to enjoy social events and celebrate progress, it’s important to remember why we’re here and how we got to this point. The work of historic preservation is never finished, and this journey must continue indefinitely. We’re thrilled to take an appreciative look back at the many marvelous preservation-related accomplishments that have come to fruition, but we cannot afford to stop. As long as there is a past, there’s a need for historic preservation - and it’s much broader than most people realize.

Of course, preservation applies to things like districts and neighborhoods, cemeteries, infrastructure and architecture. It also includes modest structures, the establishment of places like house museums and even private homes and businesses housed in historic buildings.

Sue Adler is president and CEO of the Historic Savannah Foundation.
Sue Adler is president and CEO of the Historic Savannah Foundation.

Today’s preservation movement is increasingly diverse - as is evidenced by HSF’s recent launch of an affordable housing initiative - and must continue that far-reaching progress to maintain its momentum. And that means the opportunities for involvement are just about endless.

Anyone can be a historic preservationist. As a rule, yes, we are genuinely passionate about the past - but that's because it's a way to responsibly anchor the community as it moves assuredly forward into an exciting future. Through historic preservation, we revitalize neighborhoods, save landmarks, protect unique buildings and sites, spur economic development, unite people for a common cause, and truly improve communities. Are you ready to join us? Please go to myhsf.org today to learn more about getting involved.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Celebrate National Historic Preservation Month in Savannah with us