Middle Georgia historic hospital lands on Places of Peril list for second time

One historic local facility may be in trouble as the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation released its 2020 list of 10 Places in Peril in the state.

Central State Hospital in Milledgeville found its way onto the list. The hospital was the first psychiatric institution in the state of Georgia. It eventually grew to be the largest in the United States and the second largest in the world.

This is the second time the facility has landed on the Places in Peril list. It last appeared in 2010.

“This is the Trust’s fifteenth annual Places in Peril list,” said Mark C. McDonald, president and CEO of the Trust, in a release. “We hope the list will continue to bring preservation solutions to Georgia’s imperiled historic resources by highlighting ten representative sites.”

The goal of the list is to raise awareness about places in the state that hold significant historic, archaeological and cultural importance that are now threatened by demolition, neglect, lack of maintenance, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy. This is the 15th annual list of Places in Peril.

Since appearing on the list in 2010, Central State Hospital has continued to suffer further deterioration after its full closure in 2013 due to neglect.

The campus at Central State Hospital has over 200 buildings. The size of the campus and its current condition of many of those buildings has made it harder to fundraise and invest in the facility, according to the release. A redevelopment authority is working to manage the site.

The goal is to reuse, reinvest and revitalize these historic properties. In Central State Hospital’s case, the train depot has been turned into Georgia’s Old Capital Museum.

By releasing the annual list, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is hoping to encourage owners, individuals, organizations and communities to join in the effort to help stop the deterioration of these locations. In years past, sites have received money and revitalization efforts after being featured on the list.

The full list of Places in Peril for 2020 is below:

• Central State Hospital in Milledgeville (Baldwin County)
• Antioch Baptist Church in Crawfordville (Taliaferro County)
• Asbury United Methodist Church in Savannah (Chatham County)
• Cary Reynolds Elementary School in Doraville (DeKalb County)
• Fountain (Stone) Hall in Atlanta (Fulton County)
• Heritage Park in Griffin (Spalding County)
• John Nelson Deming Home in Valdosta (Lowndes County)
• Masonic Lodge #238 in Dalton (Whitfield County)
• Nolan Crossroads in Bostwick (Morgan County)
• Rose Hill School in Porterdale (Newton County)

This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 10:04 AM.