An analysis of Georgia's historic preservation commission training program

Abstract

Preservation experts say time and again that ÒAll preservation is local.Ó Though many preservation efforts occur at state and national levels, decisions within individual communities, made by citizen groups, are the essence of the preservation movement. One of the most important elements of this ÔlocalÕ effort is the historic preservation commission- the municipal board of citizens entrusted with protecting their communityÕs historic resources. This volunteer group makes challenging decisions which greatly impact community character and quality of life. Thus, it is imperative commissioners are trained properly. During the 1980Õs, a basic training program and curriculum were developed to meet the needs of historic preservation commissioners. This program became the most commonly-used model nation-wide, and most trained commissioners in America have been trained by some version of this model. Though this method is embraced as a training model, its effectiveness has not been evaluated.