Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1437729
LOCAL BUZZ MERCER MUSIC AT CAPRICORN RECEIVES GEORGIA TRUST AWARD MERCER MUSIC AT CAPRICORN in Macon, Milledgeville's East Annex and Hancock Branch Library, Georgia College and State University's Terrell Hall in Milledgeville, Rock Eagle 4-H Center Chapel in Eatonton and the R.C. Henry Building in Dublin have received statewide preservation awards from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation during its 44th annual Preservation Awards ceremony in Macon. Mercer Music at Capricorn, Terrell Hall and the R.C. Henry Building received awards for Excellence in Rehabilitation, which recognizes projects that make compatible use of a building through repair, alterations or additions while preserving features of the property that convey its historic value. The Rock Eagle 4-H Center Chapel received an award for Excellence in Restoration, which recognizes exemplary restoration of historic structures. Milledgeville's East Annex and Hancock Branch Library received the Michael L. Starr Award, presented to a project that best exemplifies the highest standards of historic rehabilitation and has a significant impact on the downtown of the city in which it is located. To learn more about the Georgia Trust and the Preservation Awards, visit georgiatrust.org. MERCER MUSIC AT CAPRICORN The Mercer Music at Capricorn Studios project consists of four interconnected buildings that stretch along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The buildings are a rock 'n' roll landmark, housing the recording studios of Capricorn Records starting in 1969. Listed as a Georgia Trust Places in Peril site, the entire block was in danger of being lost to neglect. In 2015, a partnership between Mercer University, NewTown GEORGIA COLLEGE AND STATE UNIVERSITY'S TERRELL HALL Terrell Hall was built in 1909 as a dormitory for Georgia Women's College, now known as Georgia College and State University. Its recent rehabilitation, including careful demolition to uncover historic fabric, focused returning the building to its former glory while updating its functionality. Interior plaster was restored and original lounge spaces on each end of the building were opened to restore light and visibility while returning the spaces to their original configuration. The building's signature and striking exterior elements, the Georgia College dome and arcade roof, were restored to the original floral pattern design. The building now houses the Communications Department at the college. R.C. HENRY BUILDING Built for R.C. Henry in 1898, this elegant two-story Queen Anne building became Dublin's first bank. Over the years, the building housed numerous professional and retail businesses and underwent alterations that included the removal of many architectural features. A rehabilitation led by the Curry family, whose business had its first offices in the building in 1902, began in 2017. Work involved restoring and matching many of the building's historic materials. The signature turret — removed in the 1950s due to repeated lightning strikes — was meticulously reconstructed and returned to its rightful place atop the Macon, Sierra Development and Southern Pines Plantations announced plans to fully restore the original studio space. Many of the historic details had been removed, making the retention of the remaining historic materials a high priority, particularly the intact original studio space. Now open, the four-building remodel includes a small bar and lounge, a museum, a music incubator space, rental office space and two full recording studios. The musical legacy of Capricorn Studios lives on. LEFT TO RIGHT: MERCER MUSIC AT CAPRICORN; GEORGIA COLLEGE AND STATE UNIVERSITY'S TERRELL HALL. 26 maconmagazine.com | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022