MVHS Projects (2007)

MVHS needs every member to continue to help the society with these on-going projects.

MVHS is working on a grant to fund a "walking tour" of downtown Jasper. The following summary of MVHS activities was prepared as a part of the grant request.

Preservation Projects:

• Fitzsimmons Cemetery: restoration and preservation of the formerly abandoned Fitzsimmons Cemetery in Marble Hill, burial site of Henry T. Fitzsimmons, first white settler to quarry marble in Pickens County in the mid 1830's.A landscape plan by a renown landscape architect is being completed and the work will be done by June 1 2007. Private donations have funded the project. Several other historic cemeteries have been located and marked by MVHS who will work with the Office of Economic Development and Land Planning to protect the cemeteries from encroaching development.
• Public records have been microfilmed through the efforts of MVHS. Additional records which had been "dumped" by Pickens County have been sorted and better protected through efforts of MVHS. MVHS worked with the Georgia State Archives to improve storage and vault conditions of all "old" Pickens County official records - Superior Court, tax, probate, deed and others. The County Government is moving into a few facility in 2007 and storage vaults should be "mold free." This project remains on-going.
• Another significant project underway is to identify Native American sites in Pickens County for the National Trail of Tears Association and to identify remaining sections of the 1805 Old Federal Road for the National Park Service. NPS has already recommended a 3.6 acre segment of the road for the National Register. Preservation efforts for all of these sites are on-going and vital to the historic preservation of the area. The national director of TOTA will visit the area early in 2007.
• Video projects underway include the history of the marble industry in Pickens County and interviews with former marble workers. The Society spearheaded the addition of two Georgia Marble Company trade films onto the New Georgia Library and web site of the University of Georgia. Additional video projects focus on the history of law enforcement and education in Pickens County.
• Additions to the Pickens County Library Research Room remain an on-going project. At the present MVHS has been given over 40 feet of research books on Virginia and neighboring states. Under the direction of MVHS treasurer and research librarian, Becky Sapp, the books are being processed for addition to the Georgia Room of the Pickens County Library. Many of these books are rare and no longer available for purchase. Few libraries in Georgia will have more Southern research resources.
• With the help of MVHS member, Don Wells, we have met with the Planning Committee regarding the threat of cell towers throughout our county. Mr. Ed Marger donated his time to help MVHS with the tower situation near Tate. Commissioner Robert Jones agreed with the Society that SE Towers falsified their application for the cell tower adjacent the historic Tate District and he denied their request. The situation is now in the hands of the Court. Recently, two more cell towers were approved for the Ball Creek and Orchard Road area. It is doubtful that they had actually complied with FCC requests also. Our recommendation through Don's presentation was to declare a moratorium on cell towers until more "teeth" can be put into the Pickens County ordinance. We need to attend the 2nd Monday of each month meetings and work together to protect our most valuable resources - the beautiful "views" of Pickens County. We have been promised by County Attorney Phil Landrum III that plans are underway in 2007 to revise the cell tower procedures.

MVHS Projects (2006)

Additioinal information about "old" news of the Marble Valley may found in the MVHS Archives.