|
|
 |
"When you strip away the rhetoric,
preservation is simply having the good sense to hold on to things that are well designed, that link us with our past in a
meaningful way, and that have plenty of good use left in them." ~unknown
|
|
|
Friday, June 4, 2010
Hittin' the Roof!
The Winterville Auditorium was a disaster area! The existing roof system had failed--water was flooding the interior during
every rain. Mold and mildew covered surfaces. Plaster was falling and floors were rotting. Something had to be
done and done right away! A plan of action was designed to seal the building and avert further water damage. The
first step was to abate all of the asbestos from the building and roof. The old rolled roofing was removed and repairs
were made to the roof structure. New decking was put down and soon the new metal roof will be installed. The next
step will be to sandblast the metal window frames, re-glaze the windows and hang new exterior doors. The building will
then be waterproof and ready for the next segments in the resoration process. As funds become available, renovation
of the interior space will begin including new wall and floor coverings, a ceiling, seating, stage curtains, and an audio-visual
syustem. A new heating and air conditioning unit and additional restrooms will complete this initial phase of the restoration. We
are on our way to a state-of-the-art event venue right here in Winterville!
Monday, May 3, 2010
The Historic Winterville Auditorium is being rescued!
Work began in April to stop the intense water damage the building has suffered the past decade. The project began
with a specialized crew decked out in haz-mat “space suits” working to remove all asbestos from the building.
This involved scraping tiles and mastic from the floor, removing putty from around the windows and removing layers of roofing
material.
Next, the condition of the roof was accessed….and, miraculously, the roof needs only minimal
repairs to the supporting structure. The next step will be the installation of a metal roof system.
New fascia boards around the perimeter of the structure will insure that water will no longer pour into the building like
a tropical waterfall.
The windows will be restored in a manner that follows historical preservation guidelines
as the building is around fifty years old and located in the Historical District of Winterville. New exterior doors
will complete the waterproofing and provide security to the building.
Interior and exterior restoration,
including replacing the damaged opera-style seating will have to wait until more funds are secured for the project.
The Winterville Historical Restoration Committee will immediately begin searching for appropriate grants for the Auditorium.
Just think about the possibilities that await the citizens of Winterville and the surrounding area when this restoration
project is completed and we have an outstanding venue for performing arts right here in the center of the City——amazing
things are happening on Church Street!
|
|
|
|
2010.06.01 |
2010.05.01 |
2010.03.01
|
|
|
| The Historic Winterville School |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Winterville Historic Restoration Project Walk through the double front doors of the Winterville High School and
stand at the foot of the grand staircase. If you are very quiet, you just might hear the spring wind blow cords of sound
through broken windows and empty rooms. Let your imagination drift and perhaps you will catch a top note of youthful laughter,
an undertone of fluttering textbook pages, the growl of a hand-turned pencil sharpener, or the faint clatter of dishes from
the cafeteria area, all comfortable sounds that may have lingered in this old building for almost a century. These echoes from the past are gentle reminders of all the young people who began their
life journey within the walls of the school buildings located on this plot of ground in the heart of Winterville. Recently,
the City of Winterville acquired the deeds to two of the remaining four historic buildings: the Winterville High School and
the Winterville Auditorium. The buildings sit side by side, the last vestige of several schools located on that site
since 1880. History records that all the school buildings situated here served as both teaching spaces and as the center
of community activity for the area.
We are a small town … with a small budget …
and a big vision.
The Historic Winterville School Building is
a two-story stucco structure built in 1918. A brick addition was constructed in 1939. The
building housed classes from the date of construction until the last class graduated in 1956. The Athens
Board of Education then used the space for various purposes including storage until it was abandoned a decade ago.
A special historical note is that the first teacher-training program for Vocational Agriculture and Home Economics
was hosted around 1920 by the school. This was a cooperative venture between the Winterville School and
the University of Georgia.
| The Winterville Senior Center |
|
| Click image to view larger size |
Citizens of the town see restoration of the
Winterville School Building as a limitless opportunity to initiate local programs such as senior citizen services, adult education,
after school tutoring and arts and crafts courses. Renovation would also provide space for social, governmental
and recreational gatherings.
Winterville Auditorium, a 450-seat hall next door to the Historic Winterville School, also will be restored. Once
the site of recitals, pageants, concerts, and plays, the Winterville Auditorium was abandoned in 2002. Since
such events must now be held at venues outside of Winterville, the expectation of hosting a vibrant performing arts calendar
for both the city and surrounding area is an exciting prospect for the citizens. It is anticipated that the auditorium will also be
a much-used location for essential governmental meetings, public/private conferences, and assemblies for training/education. As a community,
we have met in public planning forums; created working committees focusing on various aspects of the restoration; retained
an architectural firm for consultation with planning; and are actively pursuing various funding avenues. The
Mayor and City Council of Winterville are enthusiastic participants in this restoration project. We need financial support to make
the restoration a reality. To curb further deterioration, the buildings must be immediately stabilized
at an estimated cost of $566,560. Total restoration of the two buildings is projected to be around $1,969,000.
Funding of this project has become a personal challenge for members of the community.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
City of Winterville
P.O. Box 306
Winterville, GA 30683
706-742-8600 copyright © 2010 City of Winterville
|
|
|
|
