Monday, June 26, 2023–8:14 a.m.
-News Release-
The City of Rome has awarded a contract for historic preservation consulting to Landmark Preservation Consulting LLC (LPC) to complete the National Register of Historic Places Nomination for the Blossom Hill and North Rome areas. This project is funded through a grant provided by the National Park Service.
Ellie Isaacs, Partner with Landmark Preservation Consulting LLC, said, “We are excited to be starting this vitally important project in North Rome. This area represents a time of prosperity for the African American community in this region that was then heavily and negatively impacted through Urban Renewal, and it deserves to be recognized. The history of underrepresented communities and the cycle of concurrences throughout the country has too often been overlooked. Our goal is to aid the community in telling their story while simultaneously aiming to bring diversity and inclusion to the National Register in Georgia.”
This past December, the city announced that The National Park Service (NPS) awarded a $30,000 Underrepresented Community Grant to the City of Rome for African American Settlement and Civil Rights Survey in North Rome. The grant supports identifying, planning, and developing nominations or amendments to the National Register of Historic Places for diverse communities.
Brittany Griffin, senior planner for the Rome-Floyd Planning Department who submitted the grant request said, “Blossom Hill and North Rome is defined by its diverse culture and history, and we will continue efforts to keep the history of Rome alive.” Griffin also stated, “Adding this area to the state and national registers will provide support and resources to preserve the area’s rich heritage.”
Landmark Preservation Consulting LLC (LPC) is a firm dedicated to thoroughly assessing and preserving historic buildings and sites. Based in Savannah, Georgia, the team performs professional consulting services and has worked on significant public museums, churches, monuments, cemeteries, and archeological ruins. The founders, Greg Jacobs and Ellie Isaacs have been active in the preservation profession for more than 35 years combined. Their experiences cover a broad spectrum of preservation activities, making LPC adept at successfully addressing the unique challenges that characterize historic resources.
The Underrepresented Community grant program began in 2014 and has provided $5.75 million to State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices and Certified Local Governments to work towards diversifying the National Register of Historic Places through surveys and nominations. For more information about the Underrepresented Community grant program, please visit http://go.nps.gov/urc.
For questions about the City of Rome’s contract for historic preservation consulting or the National Park Service grant award, contact Brittany Griffin at 706.676.3691, [email protected].