Mary-Leila Lofts and Oconee Brewing Company Receive Statewide Historic Preservation Awards

ATLANTA, May 2, 2018— The Mary-Leila Lofts and the Oconee Brewing Company in Greensboro received statewide preservation awards from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation during its 41st annual Preservation Awards ceremony held April 27. 

Chairman’s Award:  Mary-Leila Lofts, 401 N West St., Greensboro

The Mary-Leila Lofts received the Chairman’s Award, which is presented at the sole discretion of the Georgia Trust Chairman of the Board of Trustees to recognize extraordinary efforts contributing to the preservation of Georgia’s historic resources.
 
The Mary-Leila Lofts building was originally built in 1900 as the Mary Leila Cotton Mill, a major employer in Greene County until its closure in the early 2000s. In 2015 the property was purchased by an Atlanta-based development team and rehabilitated for an affordable, green, loft apartment community close to downtown Greensboro.

Greensboro's Mary Leila Lofts was selected for the Chairman's Award from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation

The project achieved EarthCraft Communities, Multifamily, and Sustainable Preservation certifications from Southface. This $15 million rehabilitation project created 71 energy-efficient, affordable apartments for working families while also preserving an important aspect of the community's past.

Excellence in Preservation Award:  Oconee Brewing Company, 202 N West St., Greensboro

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The Oconee Brewing Company won the Excellence in Historic Preservation Award from the Georgia Trust

The Oconee Brewing Company received an Excellence in Preservation Award, which recognizes the appropriate preservation of historic resources and creative interpretations of historic sites.
 
The building that the Oconee Brewing Company currently occupies was constructed around 1900 to serve the nearby Mary Leila Cotton Mill. In later years, it was used as a soft drink bottling and distribution center for the Greensboro Electric Bottling Company. In 2013 it was purchased by the Oconee Brewing Company with plans to reuse the space for their brewery operation. ​​

In 2014 the city declared it a blighted property. Despite great preservation challenges, Oconee Brewing Company successfully and sensitively incorporated a new structure into a ruined site and today the contrast between old and new is intriguing and welcoming.
 
Greensboro Community Development Director, Cail Hammons comments, “It is a remarkable honor for our town to be recognized by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.  Together, the Mary Leila Lofts and the Oconee Brewing Company are preserving Greensboro’s sense of place and the unique character and history of our community.”
 
About Georgia Trust Preservation Awards
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For more than 40 years, the Georgia Trust has recognized preservation projects and individuals throughout Georgia who have made significant contributions to the field of historic preservation. Awards are presented on the basis of the contributions of the person or project to the community and/or state and on compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
 
About the Georgia Trust

Founded in 1973, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is one of the country’s leading statewide, nonprofit preservation organizations. The Trust works for the preservation and revitalization of Georgia’s diverse historic resources and advocates their appreciation, protection and use.
 
The Georgia Trust generates community revitalization by finding buyers for endangered properties acquired by its Revolving Fund and raises awareness of other endangered historic resources through an annual listing of Georgia’s “Places in Peril.” The Trust recognizes preservation projects and individuals with its annual Preservation Awards and awards students and young professionals with academic scholarships, the Neel Reid Prize and Liz Lyon Fellowship. The Trust offers a variety of educational programs for adults and children, provides technical assistance to property owners and historic communities, advocates for funding, tax incentives and other laws aiding preservation efforts, and manages two house museums in Atlanta (Rhodes Hall) and Macon (Hay House).
 
To learn more about The Georgia Trust and the Preservation Awards, visit www.georgiatrust.org.
 
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