The Sanctity of Storytelling: Using Stories to Uncover and Preserve Atlanta’s Hidden History

Historic preservation has traditionally focused on saving certain types of places. In 2019 the Historic Preservation Studio of the city of Atlanta undertook the Future Places Project, an initiative to update and reimagine how the city approached historic preservation. One of the largest takeaways from that work was that the public didn’t think that historic preservation was doing enough to capture all of Alanta’s stories, and as a result history was being lost.

This presentation will explore how the Studio had shifted its approach to capturing these stories, and how that change has helped focus on and protect valuable resources that tell stories particularly of Atlanta’s African American history. Anthony Knight, African American Heritage Coordinator, and Elizabeth Clappin, Planner, will discuss recent designations of Landmark Buildings and Sites and discuss how their preservation expands our understanding of Atlanta’s rich and varied history.

The program will be held July 23 at 7 p.m. at The Cathedral of Saint Philip. Please register on the Buckhead Heritage website, www.BuckheadHeritage.com.