Erick Montgomery, executive director of Historic Augusta, Inc. received a statewide preservation award from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation during its 44th annual Preservation Awards ceremony that was held in Macon.
On Oct. 13, Montgomery received the Mary Gregory Jewett Award for distinguished lifetime service in the field of preservation. It is named for the Trust’s first executive director and is the Trust’s top honor given to an individual.
“(Montgomery) is highly respected in the preservation world. He is meticulous and passionate about Augusta’s history, qand this lifetime achievement award is very well deserved,” said Robyn Macey, marketing and programs director of Historic Augusta Inc.
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Originally from Tennessee, Montgomery and his wife, Laurie, moved to Augusta in 1989 when he was offered the position with Historic Augusta, Inc. Montgomery said he found Augusta to be a great adopted hometown as his wife already had family ties here. Both he and his wife felt that Augusta was the perfect place to raise their three children.
Montgomery also found Augusta as the perfect place to pursue his passion of saving unique historic structures.
Historic Augusta’s mission is to preserve historically or architecturally significant sites in Augusta, and the timing could not have been better for the city. Montgomery came to the Garden City at a time when attitudes began to shift locally in favor of historic preservation.
The situation was just the opposite in the previous decades. Starting in the 1950s, a modernization craze took over, and Augusta lost many historic buildings to the wrecking ball. The original City Hall was bulldozed to make way for the new Municipal Building. The trend continued in 1974 when Union Station was torn down and replaced with a post office complex.
Attitudes began to change in the late 1980s as public outcry helped save Sacred Heart Cultural Center, built in 1898. A couple of years later, a public campaign helped save the Butt Memorial Bridge, erected in 1914.
When Montgomery came to town, the renaissance of downtown Augusta had yet to begin. Most buildings in the downtown area were boarded up, and empty and about the only entertainment choices were the many strip clubs on Broad Street.
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Montgomery’s first big project was to save and restore the boyhood homes of both President Woodrow Wilson and Supreme Court Justice Joseph Lamar, which are located side by side on 7th Street near Greene Street.
It took 10 years to fully complete the project, which cost north of $3 million. However, Montgomery was able to guide the financial progress through historic preservation grants and private donations.
Thanks to Montgomery’s meticulous nature, the home was restored to its original 1860s appearance. No detail was missed, and today, visitors can tour the home and see some of the original Wilson family furniture and even a window pane where the future president etched his name in the glass when he was a young lad.
Most recently, Montgomery was instrumental in helping save another iconic structure that was in danger not because it was decrepit, but because the city wanted extra parking at the Municipal Building.
Originally opened in 1869, the Synagogue of the Congregation of B’nai Israel (Children of Israel), located on Telfair Street, is the oldest standing synagogue in the state of Georgia and one of the oldest in the United States, according to its preservation website. Montgomery and his team helped save that building, which will now operate as the Augusta Jewish Museum.
According to Margaret Woodard, director of the Downtown Development Authority, Montgomery is willing to jump in and help private developers interested in saving a historic property by helping them find tax credits and navigate the sometimes bureaucratic nightmare that comes along with such projects.
“(Montgomery) knows more about historical preservation than anyone that I have known in my career. Myself and the DDA, we all congratulate him. He absolutely deserves this lifetime achievement honor,” Woodard said.
When reached for comment, the notoriously humble Montgomery heaped praise on his staff and supporters of Historic Augusta, Inc.
“Well, it’s not just me. I couldn’t have done any of this stuff without my board, our donors, our supporters and our staff. I mean, lots and lots of people,” Montgomery said.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
