School Board Approves Land Swap Deal With Canton

Two historic buildings in downtown Canton will continue to stand.

That’s because the Cherokee County School Board unanimously voted to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Canton to do what’s known as a property exchange.

The proposal, which was formally adopted by the Canton City Council on Tuesday, would allow the city to swap 19.78 acres of land located along Bluffs Parkway in exchange for the property that’s home to Buildings A and B in downtown Canton.

The approval came as a form of a substitute motion, offered by District 1 Board Member Kyla Cromer, which followed board members voting 1-6 to reject a motion to proceed with demolishing the structures. The board’s decision was met with applause from a packed Historic Canton High School/School Board Auditorium, which is located in Building C.

The auditorium was so packed that the facility reached capacity before the meeting started, and residents — many of whom wore green or green T-shirts that read “Save Historic Canton” — were asked to temporarily give up their seats to students who were being recognized by the school board.

Most residents filed outside, where they waited for roughly 45 minutes for the recognition portion of the agenda to come to an end. Roughly 30 to 50 adults and children stood outside the facility at any given time, while some residents waited in their cars to escape the cold, windy temperatures.

Building B, the former Canton Grammar School, was renovated more than 30 years ago for office use with no preservation of historic details and was closed six years ago due to structural, safety and health concerns, the school district has previously said.

The basement level of the two-floor Building A, the former Canton cotton mill offices, was closed shortly after due to similar concerns.

According to the agreement put forth by the city, Canton would retain roughly 4.19 acres that would be used as the future site for a fire station. Additionally, the school district would construct a shared access drive that would be used by the city in relation to the fire station as well as the district for its operations.

Board members heard from three residents, and they all encouraged the school district to leave the structures in place.

Ball Ground resident Stefanie Joyner, executive director of the Cherokee County Historical Society, also thanked the board from taking input from the public and considering options other than outright demolition.

Canton resident Alexander Bryant opened his comments by noting a community that turns its back on history ”will not stand.” Both Buildings A and B serve as a collective community experience cherished by those whose lives were shaped by either going to work or attending school in those structures.

“Those buildings that you seek to tear down to dust are a cultural repository for our county,” he said.

Canton native James McKinney Field reminded the board that the people who paved the way for them to serve the public actually walked through the doors of Buildings A, B and C.

Before the city of Canton’s school system consolidated with the Cherokee County School District, Field said his parents chose to pay tuition for him to attend school in the county seat.

The buildings have produced great leaders, such as generals and admirals, and mean so much to the multiple generations of people who roamed their hallways and occupied their rooms.

“Why do we need to build a Taj Mahal when you got children in trailers?” he also asked the board.

Board member Mike Chapman made the initial motion to move forward with demolition, which was rejected by all members except himself. The veteran school board member commended community stakeholders who came together and recommended an alternate design.

He also said the school district has been “very considerate” of the community’s desires, noting the district spent $6 million to renovate Building C.

However, fellow board member Clark Menard said he could not support demolition.

The new board member did say it’s important for the district to have efficient central office operations so they are not using money that could go directly into the classroom for upkeep and maintenance of old facilities.

Furthermore, Menard said it’s much harder to manage operations in an effective manner when you have multiple campuses.

However, Menard added he did think it was more important for the school district to keep its headquarters in the county seat rather than in the central business district.

Cromer, along with Board Chair Janet Read, thanked district staff for doing its due diligence since the tabling of the demolition recommendation at the board’s Feb. 5 meeting. Cromer stated the board was provided with enough information needed to “make the right decision.”

Following her substitute motion, Chapman did say he would vote in support of accepting the city of Canton’s offer. Reiterating he is not “talking out of both sides of my mouth,” Chapman said one thing he took away from school board training is to support the body as a whole in its decisions.

While stating he believed Canton will “suffer in the long run,” he did note he felt this option was the second best under consideration by the board.

What Should You Read Next?

• Canton Approves Proposal to Exchange Property With School Board
• Historical Society Will Bid On Former Grammar School, Cotton Mill Office
• School Board Postpones Demolition of Historic Buildings
• Merchants To Canton: Encourage School Board To Remain Downtown
• School Board To Consider Offer To Purchase Buildings A and B
• School District Releases Rendering of New Administrative Building
• Historical Society: BOE Has “Obligation” To Safeguard Historic Assets
• Petruzielo: Not in Taxpayer’s “Best Interest” To Renovate Buildings
• Petition Created To Save Historic Canton Buildings
• Group Wants School Board To Integrate Historic Buildings Into Office Plans
• Petruzielo: Replace Former Canton Mill Office, Grammar School Buildings

Photo credits: Alison Payne/Cherokee County Historical Society