Madison, GA, June 21, 2019—We are pleased to announce the sale of the Foster-Thomason-Miller House to Elizabeth and David Minnix of Atlanta. On the GA Trust’s 2018 list of “Places in Peril,” Madison’s Masterpiece on Main was previously purchased and stabilized by the Madison-Morgan Conservancy and sold to the Minnixes through their newly established Endangered Properties Revolving Fund, which provides effective alternatives to subdivision, destruction, demolition, or neglect of significant natural, agricultural, and historic resources.  This first project protected both the architecturally important historic house and nearly an acre of greenspace in the heart of Madison’s historic district.

About the Foster-Thomason-Miller House
Built in 1883 as “the most elegant country home in Middle Georgia,” the Foster-Thomason-Miller House was fully restored in 1986 and received a 1986 Georgia Trust Preservation Award. In 2001, the rear kitchen addition burned. The main building suffered primarily smoke and water damage. In 2018, with the house in disrepair and the threat of proposed insensitive development on the property, the Georgia Trust included it on its 2018 list of 10 “Places in Peril” in the state.

This extraordinary home of national significance is an excellent example of the American Aesthetic Movement with elements of Queen Anne, Italianate, and Gothic Revival styles and was allegedly influenced by Oscar Wilde’s 1882 House Beautiful tour.

The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, making it eligible for significant economic/tax incentives, including Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits, State Rehabilitation Tax Credits, and a Preferential Property Tax Freeze. The property is also regulated by Madison’s local historic district. 

About the Foster-Thomason-Miller House’s new owners
Elizabeth and David Minnix, of Atlanta purchased the Foster-Thomason-Miller House and have assembled a stellar team of experts to assist them in the restoration. David Minnix’s great-great-grandmother received her diploma from the Georgia Female College, and the Foster-Thomason-Miller House was constructed on top of the foundations of that college after it burned in 1880.  Elizabeth and David are both passionate about history, historic architecture, and about their family’s heritage, making Madison’s Masterpiece on Main the perfect acquisition for them.  The Minnixes are not new to historic preservation— they are currently working on four adaptive reuse rehabilitation projects in the Armour Yards area of Atlanta.

We are so pleased the Minnix family will be the next stewards of Madison’s Masterpiece on Main.  Their connection to the property and their passion for history, architecture, and design will be evident in their rehabilitation. As the first project of the Conservancy’s Endangered Properties Revolving Fund, we feel very fortunate to have found conservation buyers with so much passion for the property and the foresight to invest in this magnificent house. Our goal was to permanently protect the house and the land and historic context, which we were able to do thanks to the Minnixes and through a conservation easement with the Georgia Trust.

“The Foster-Thomason-Miller House is one of Georgia’s finest Eastlake style buildings, and we’re delighted that it’s going to be saved and protected in perpetuity by a preservation easement. This preservation victory was made possible by a dynamic partnership between the Madison-Morgan Conservancy, the Georgia Trust, the Madison Preservation Commission, and the vigilant citizens of Madison,” said Mark C. McDonald, president and CEO of the Georgia Trust.

About the Madison-Morgan Conservancy’s Endangered Properties Revolving Fund
In 2016, the Madison-Morgan Conservancy identified the “revolving fund” as a tool to help protect endangered properties in Morgan County. Thanks to much guidance and technical support from the Georgia Trust, which has protected more than 30 properties since 1990 through its revolving fund, the Conservancy created an Endangered Properties Revolving Fund and made the Foster-Thomason-Miller House its first purchase.

The Conservancy’s Endangered Properties Revolving Fund is funded by the Watson-Brown Foundation, The 1772 Foundation, and by many donors and friends. The Revolving Fund provides effective alternatives to subdivision, destruction, demolition, or neglect of significant natural, agricultural, and historic resources by securing endangered properties, stabilizing them, and then marketing them to a conservation buyer who will agree to rehab the property to certain standards or use the property for certain uses. To help protect other endangered properties in Morgan County, you can make a contribution to the Endangered Properties Revolving Fund or contact the Madison-Morgan Conservancy to learn more at info@mmcGeorgia.org, 706-818-8046, or www.mmcGeorgia.org.

The Foster-Thomason-Miller house was listed by Lewis and Redwine Real Estate Group and sold in less than one year.

To see more photos of the property, click here.

When the Foster-Thomason-Miller House was constructed in 1883 it was known as “the most elegant country home in Middle Georgia.”  And for good reason.  It was built on the foundation of the 1850 Georgia Female Academy, it was the first house in Madison to be gasified, and its spectacular interiors (even in its current state) are chock full of rich artistic and architectural detail, making it the most ornate home in all of Morgan County.

The Madison-Morgan Conservancy decided it was time to save this masterpiece before it was too late and began raising funds for an Endangered Properties Revolving Fund.  In May 2018, the Conservancy purchased the building and the adjacent empty lot and immediately began stabilization.  We are now listing the property for sale to a conservation buyer who will agree to rehabilitate the building to certain standards.  

To see photos of the interiors before the fire, please visit  www.ftmhouse.com or https://www.facebook.com/The-Foster-Thomason-Miller-House-147119472160908/

This is the Madison-Morgan Conservancy’s first Endangered Properties Revolving Fund project.