Communities in the Atlanta Region have recognized projects that demonstrate historic preservation initiatives on multiple scales – from identification of National Landmarks to documentation of subsurface archaeological resources. Included in the Regional Resource Plan are structures that reflect both high-style and vernacular architectural traditions. It includes landscapes designed by the Olmstead Brothers, as well as farms that have stayed within the same family for a century. The diversity of resources within the Atlanta Region is reflected through a multitude of historic districts and individual sites that trace significant cultural events from its prehistoric occupants, through early European settlements, the Civil War, the New South and into the mid-20th century.
There are fewer than 2,500 National Historic Landmarks identified throughout the United States, and the Atlanta Region is fortunate to have six National Historic Landmarks, all located within the City of Atlanta.
National Historic Register Districts include buildings, structures, sites and objects that are, by definition, worthy of preservation. Districts reflect the core community building blocks of neighborhoods and activity centers that are the character and culture of our region, and there are over 75 distinct districts located throughout the Atlanta Region.
Atlanta hosted the Summer Olympics in 1996, and the entire region and state had the benefit of the exposure as a world class city, capable of hosting such an event. Within the Atlanta Region, Olympic events were held at fifteen different locations, but Centennial Olympic Park stands out as Georgia’s lasting legacy of the Centennial Olympic Games.
The Georgia Centennial Farm Program recognizes the agricultural heritage of the state and the families who have been integral to its history. It focuses on farms that have been in operation for over a century - some held by the same family, and some meeting the criteria to be considered National Register eligible.
The National Park Service has taken the lead on recognizing the importance of Civil War Battlefields within the context of our local and regional cultural heritage, as well as for their implications for our national history. Working through local partnerships with organizations such as the Georgia Battlefield Association, continued documentation has identified remnants of several significant sites in the Atlanta Region.
The rapid pace of development within the Atlanta Region has resulted in the alteration or demolition of buildings, sites, objects, landscapes and other traditional historic resources, making the archaeological record and subsurface resources even more valuable. Examples of the contributions made by these resources include Soapstone Ridge, Fort Daniel Archaeological Site, and Oakland Cemetery.
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