A dozen statewide preservation organizations are calling for a 180-day delay in the recently authorized demolition of historic buildings at Milledgeville’s Central State Hospital to seek alternatives.
An Aug. 1 letter to the state agency that operates the hospital campus was circulated by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and signed by 11 other groups and firms. “It is our hope that these resources are not lost forever,” says the letter. “We appreciate your attention to this matter, and we look forward to working with you to determine a realistic and positive outcome.”
Co-signers include the Atlanta Preservation Center; Historic Columbus Foundation; Historic Athens; Historic Augusta, Inc.; Historic Savannah Foundation; Historic Macon; Easements Atlanta; National Monuments Foundation; University of Georgia Student Historic Preservation Organization; the Atlanta architecture firm Lord Aeck Sargent; and the Savannah historic rehabilitation and restoration firm Landmark Preservation.
The letter was addressed to David Glass, who chairs a board that oversees the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD).
On July 25, Gov. Brian Kemp authorized DBHDD to demolish three large and significant structures on the hospital campus: the Green (1947), Jones (late 1920s) and Walker (1884) buildings. He also authorized the demolition of the Wash House Building, an outbuilding behind the historic Powell Building, a grand structure that DBHDD says is not itself at risk for demolition.
The 180-year-old, 1,400-acre hospital campus was a pioneer in mental health in its day before becoming notorious for abuses and a focus of reforms. The hospital and the entire Georgia mental health hospital system were downsized in 2011. Once encompassing more than 200 buildings, the actual state hospital part of Central State occupies only a half-dozen buildings on roughly 65 acres and currently serves about 150 criminal justice system defendants deemed mentally unfit to stand trial. Much of the remainder of the sprawling campus was simply left vacant, including the historic buildings marked for demolition now, and many structures fell into poor condition by state neglect.
The surprise start of asbestos abatement work on those three major buildings in October 2022 triggered preservationists’ concerns about demolition and a pro-preservation petition that drew more than 1,000 signatures. DBHDD claimed at the time that the abatement was an urgent response to trespasser-related safety issues and separate from any potential demolition or other long-term plans. But contractor documents obtained by SaportaReport showed the abatement was an interrelated part of demolition plans that only had yet to be approved and funded.
DBHDD spokesperson Ryan King previously said the agency’s goal is complete demolition this fall on a timeline to be determined. He said that demolition was found to be “the only viable option” for the buildings and that a revitalization plan is still on the table that will have the Powell Building as a “centerpiece.”
King said that the demolition request came after an “in-depth” exploration of alternatives. On the historic preservation front, he said, DBHDD “had conversations with an architect who told us a detailed survey would cost $300,000 and preservation of the facade of just one of the buildings would cost upward of $10 million.” He has not responded to a request to identify the architect.
The full text of the preservation organizations’ Aug. 1 letter is as follows:
As you are certainly aware, the remarkable and complex history of the Central State Hospital in Milledgeville is a vital part of our state’s broader history. The campus, in its original context, represents a unique architectural resource that is significant to the entire state.
As such, we write to you regarding the proposed demolition of the Jones Building, Green Building, Walker Building, and the Wash House. We ask for a 180-day reprieve from any efforts to move forward with a demolition, to allow for all stakeholders to engage in good faith to determine a viable path forward that avoids the permanent loss of these important buildings.
The Georgia Trust and our preservation partners around the state have emphasized the significance of these historic buildings for over a decade. It is our hope that these resources are not lost forever. We appreciate your attention to this matter, and we look forward to working with you to determine a realistic and positive outcome.
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