Group tours Rome’s historic places
♦ The Atlanta preservationists’ tour ‘showcased a spectacular display of architectural heritage.’
Supporters of the Atlanta Preservation Center expressed unanimous appreciation for Rome’s effort to preserve its downtown district during a weekend tour of the city.
Morning rain did not stop anyone who signed up to participate in the APC’S Fall Excursion from making the trip Saturday, but it did cut short their tour of the historic Myrtle Hill Cemetery.
David Mitchell, the center’s operations director, arranged the tours.
“This year’s tour in Rome focused on the post-war experience of Northwest Georgia and showcased a spectacular array of architectural heritage,” Mitchell said.
In addition to Myrtle Hill Cemetery, the delegation
learned about Coosa Country Club’s effort to have its historic golf course added to the National Register of Historic Places and toured the century-old City Auditorium, Rome’s Clocktower and the Claremont House on Second Avenue.
Virtually every member of the group of more than 20 visitors said they were impressed by the Victorian downtown district and the fact that so many of the buildings in the Between the Rivers Historic District had not only been preserved but were still is use.
Britton Rogers, who came on the tour with her mother, Melodie Rogers, spent the past two years renovating an historic old home in Atlanta. Britton said the tour was well worth the drive in a driving rain.
“This was my first time to Rome. It’s a beautiful city and it’s got more history about Georgia that I got to learn about,” Britton said.
She said she got interested in historic preservation when she was growing up and visiting Civil War battlefields across the country with her parents.
The rain stopped in time for the Rogers family to spend their lunch break walking up and down Broad Street, where all of the storefronts and architecture caught their attention.
The Rogers family and one of their neighbors in Atlanta, Jan Keith, were especially impressed with their tour of the Claremont House, 906 Second and a who a she see and number private Retired the had was breakfast has interior Ave., not always been residence. of U.S. occasions, disappointed. a to Bankruptcy that of former wanted Rome the is Keith, home now said bed on to Court Grace Buffalo, District Diehl, Judge New of originally for York, Georgia the said Northern Mary from she was a and history has major always in been college interested of history in the and combination architecture. She was particularly intrigued by the City Auditorium and its preservation over the last century.
While a downpour cut short a trip to the Myrtle Hill Cemetery, Boyd Coons, executive director of the Atlanta Preservation Center, said in many places cemeteries are the only tangible links to the past.
“There is something evocative about them and we all end up in one,” Coons said. “It’s beautiful up (in Myrtle Hill). You have glorious art and of the City Like the monuments, continuous the Auditorium city.” Diehl, spectacular Coons use ironwork through of views said the the Rome “It’s years such to be was a proud marvelous something of. asset for and thing I (to gather the community) it means some- and that locks it into the collective memory” said Coons. Mick Williams, president of Coosa Country Club, detailed the club’s efforts over the past year to have the golf course listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “It wasn’t a hard sell,” was Williams response to a question about members’ reaction to the plan. Williams said the designation could benefit the club in a a number of ways, including eligibility for a variety of grants to help keep the course in championship condition. Results of the effort to have the course listed on the Register won’t be known for several months.