Donate today to help us protect endangered properties!  

The goal of the Endangered Properties Revolving Fund is to secure endangered properties, protect them, and then market them to a conservation buyer who will agree to rehab the building to certain standards.   This model is used by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic Macon, Historic Savannah, and other non-profits utilizing revolving funds.

WHAT IS A REVOLVING FUND?
A revolving fund is a financing tool used traditionally in historic preservation projects.  In Morgan County’s case, the Endangered Properties Revolving Fund is uniquely designed to protect historic structures AND openspace. Now capitalized after the sale of the first project (the Foster-Thomason-Miller House pictured above), the fund will be used to 1) acquire significant and endangered properties that include both historic structures and undeveloped land through donation, purchase, or option agreements, 2) protect the properties with conservation easements or other preservation agreements, 3) market/sell those properties to conservation buyers, and then 4) reinvest the proceeds back into the revolving fund for the next project.

Because the capital in this fund revolves from project to project, this Endangered Properties Revolving Fund will not only protect farms, forests, and front porches for this generation, it will be a tool that future generations can use to sustain their Morgan County.

If you would like to know more about the Endangered Properties Revolving Fund or support our efforts in developing this fund, please contact us.

Current Revolving Fund Projects

The Seedhouse – 137 S. First St, Madison (aka Helen’s Beauty Shop)
On October 30th2020, the Revolving Fund purchased 137 S. First Street, a blighted c. 1896 historic cotton seed warehouse in the heart of downtown Madison.  Known most recently as Helen’s Beauty Shop, the building had been vacant for 10 years.  The Revolving Fund rehabilitated the building into an EarthCraft Gold commercial space, replacing blight with an energy efficient office space.  The Revolving Fund will own and lease the property to the Conservancy for five years and then sell it to recoup its investment, replenishing the fund.

Come see us.  The Seedhouse is a great demonstration project, if you’re interested in solar, pervious pavers, energy star appliances, and many other sustainable technologies.

Athens Land Trust exploring 165-acre Bramble Creek Farm

Bramble Creek Farm
The Revolving Fund recently protected 155 acres of farmland, timberland, and hardwood forest along Bramble Creek.  The farm has prime agricultural soils, significant agricultural infrastructure, healthy stands of working forest, beautiful bottomland hardwoods, and abundant wildlife.  It’s a serene and beautiful place and part of Morgan County’s critical mass of farmland.

Horse Branch Creek Trail

Horse Branch Creek Trail TDR project
The Revolving Fund helped secure a critical link for a future trail that will eventually connect the Morgan County School campus to Horse Branch Creek Trail.  We assisted the landowner in this  TDR project by protecting sixteen acres of greenspace along Horse Branch Creek with a conservation easement.  The permanently protected land will then be donated to the City for the trail system.

Past Revolving Fund Projects

  • Foster-Thomason-Miller House (FTM) – SOLD
  • Fairplay School – 3231 Prospect Rd, Rutledge, GA 30663 – SOLDIn June 2022, the Conservancy purchased the historic Fairplay School on 1.88 acres through the EPRF. Built in 1897 on property given to the School Board that same year by John Ponder, the building operated as a school serving the Fairplay community until 1938. After Morgan County consolidated the rural schools, the Board of Education sold the Fairplay School to the Knight Family in 1953.  The Knights lived in the building for 70 years until they sold it to the Conservancy in August 2022. There are only a handful of historic schools left in Morgan County, making the protection of this schoolhouse so important.And here’s how we revolved our money: like the Foster-Thomason-Miller House project, the Conservancy stabilized the structure, protected the property with a deed restriction and Preservation Agreement and found a preservation buyer to rehabilitate it to a certain standard by a certain time. In this case the preservation buyer will return the front façade to its original appearance, reconstruct the bell tower, and rehabilitate it as a residence. The Fairplay School was sold on 2/14/24.

WE THANK THE FOLLOWING DONORS FOR MAKING THIS PROGRAM A REALITY:

Joan Alby
Tyler Alexander
Alliance Corrugated & Displays
Anonymous
Antique Sweets
Jennifer Artman
Kathryn & Darren Ash
Valle & Stan Ashley
Kathy Bakane
Candace Carlson & Kevin Baker
Mary & Chad Balicki
Sarah & Sam Ball
Bank of Madison
Janet & Bob Beauchamp
Rosemary L. & Don W. Becker
Clint Bell
Mr. & Mrs. Ira Block
Jane C. Bostwick
Ruth & Mike Bracewell
Lisa & Chris Brandon
Mr. & Mrs. Wilson Broach
Bryans Family Foundation
Connie Bryans
Mr. & Mrs. David Buck
Nancy Bush
Rosemary Buttermore
Kathryn & Joe Cardwell
Mr. & Mrs. Charles T. Cathey, Jr.
Camryn & Jim Chambers, Jr.
Natalie & George Chase, Timber Chase Farm, LLC
Hilda & James Chilton
Tony Clark
Mary Kay & Flynn Clyburn
Conrads Family Foundation
Martha & Blair Curtis
Maryann & Devon Dartnell
Miryn & Kyle Davidson
Julie Davie
Mr. & Mrs. Lane Dennard
Theresa & Ward Dickinson
Flossie & David Dodge
Alice Kohn & Arthur H. Domby
Pat Walker & Jeanne Dufort
Beth DuVall
Lee Ann & Brian Emerson
Glenn T. Eskew
Emily & Tom Followill
Nicole & Brandon Forde
Virginia & Clarence Foreman
Christy & Von Friesen
Charles Fussell
GA Civil
Karen & Michael Garrett

Mr. & Mrs. John Garrett
Judy & Bruce Gilbert
Victoria Gray
Mrs. Lane Greene
Sandra Greene
Mary Mack & Jack Hall
Tami Halloran
Louise & Ed Hannah
Solveig & Donald Harden
LCDR Albert Harper & Family
June Harrell
Martha Harrell
Patsy Harris
Bruce Hayes
Chris & Foss Hodges
Kebby & Reg Holden
Rena & George Holt
Robert Lewis & Wes Holt
Anne & Neil Horstman
Ben Hudson
Christie Hudson & Isabel Rocha
Steve & Linda Huggins
Lyn & Whitey Hunt
Vickie Hunt
Deborah & Jon Hunter
Mary & John Huntz
Ingles
Anne Symmes & Stephen Ives
James Madison Inn
Mary Ann & Richard Jacob
Julie Jenkins
Kim Jensen
Mr. & Mrs. Hank Johns
Traci & Stewart Johns
Drs. Babs & Hiram Johnston
Carol & Jim Jones
Judi Perazzo and Eric Joyce
Just Right Signs
Pam & Keith Kelly
Larkin & Brad Kelly
Samantha Kickbush
Bill Killmer
Rachel & Jason Kinsaul
Monica & Ken Kocher
Brian J. Lahaie
Christine Lambert
Zeke Lambert
Shandon & David Land
Emily & Don Lane
Lewis & Redwine Real Estate Group
Harris Little
Longview Wealth Management
Penny & Bob Lyle
Madison Markets
Madison Realty Inc.
Madison Rentals
Main Street Vet
Robin Marhaver
Mary & Bob McCauley
Kelly & Chad McLeod
Stacy & Michael McQuaide

Sydney & Gray McWhirter
Jill & Kevin Meeler
Nancy & Jack Miles
Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Miller
Betsy & Sandy Morehouse
Suzanne & Leigh Morgan
Morgan County Landmarks Society, Inc.
Mr. & Mrs. Roy Morris
Ashley & Jeremy Moon
Victoria Newton Mooney
Becca & Godfrey Newton
Betsy Wagenhauser & Alex Newton
Carly Ortlund
Brenda & Tommy Parrish
Victor Peeples
Brooks “Sonny” Pennington, III
Charlotte & Keith Pharr
Pure Bliss Spa
Betsy Quillin
Dan Rather
Danielle & Dana Rector
Jeffrey Hagy & Michael Redwine
Holly Reed
Deneice & Brad Rice
Dr. Rose Ann Rigby-Weaver, MD
Jane & Everett Royal
Barbara & Francis Rushing
Jan Sampson
Ellen Sanders
Lee & Sandy Sanford
Catherine Sasnett
Beth & Karl Scott
Peter Scott
Elizabeth Rockhill & Sim Sergiadis
Mr. & Mrs. Tom Sherwood
Cate Short
Holly Shreiner
Dave Skillen
Cathryn & Joey Smith
Southern Legacy Rentals, LLC
Gail Spiotta
Amelia Steele
Pat & Jimmy Stokes
SunTrust Trusteed Foundations: Harriet McDaniel Marshall Trust
Johanna & Bryan Tate
Erin Tewksbury
Mrs. Lynn Walker Treadwell
Anne & Robert Trulock
Robert M. & Lilias Baldwin Turnell Foundation
Ms. Lee Harper & Mr. Wayne Vason
Katie Vason & Finn Vason
Walmart
Ann-Marie & Frank Walsh
Ellen Warren
Christine & Dave Watts
Katie & Scott Weber
George H. West
Ted Westlake
Kathy & Clarence Whiteside
Denise & William Wingate
Lisa Wood

Special thanks to our mentors at The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation