The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is pleased to announce that it has received two historic preservation awards for the recent renovation and expansion of the GHS Research Center. GHS received an Excellence in Stewardship award from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and a Preservation Award from the Historic Savannah Foundation. The awards recognized the Georgia Historical Society’s use of best practices in historic preservation and its long-term care and stewardship of Hodgson Hall and the Research Center.

“We are honored to accept these awards in historic preservation,” says Laura García-Culler, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Georgia Historical Society. “Throughout the renovations, we wanted to blend the old with the new, making sure the necessary upgrades did not negatively impact the original design and integrity of the building.”

The awards follow a successful three-year, $5 million renovation and expansion of the Georgia Historical Society’s Research Center. This was the largest capital project in the history of GHS, which included a new archival wing and updates to the historic Hodgson Hall and Abrahams Archival Annex. Additional improvements included renovated and reconfigured spaces for archival processing, digitization, and specialized storage and updates to security, ventilation, and fire suppression systems.

“We are deeply grateful to our project partners, JTVS Builders, Inc., Lynch Associates Architects, and Plum Design West for helping us complete this once-in-a-generation renovation and expansion,” says García-Culler. “Their talented work and craftsmanship represent an extraordinary contribution to Savannah’s architectural landscape. Thanks to this wonderful collaboration in historic preservation, we can better fulfill our statewide educational and research mission for many years to come.”