Outcry over prison illustrates need for future guidelines

Published 12:37 pm Monday, August 13, 2018

Milledgeville and Baldwin County’s ties to our state’s history run deep. That’s no secret; in fact, it’s often celebrated as a local tourism draw. Governor’s and their families lived here. Legislators cast the votes that launched the Civil War in the legislative chambers of the Old Capitol Building. With that in mind, it should be no surprise that the recent decision to tear down the old Georgia Prison Farm drew the ire of many area historians. 

County officials made the decision, citing public safety concerns about the dilapidated building, which hasn’t been used in 80 years. Squatters have reportedly stayed in the old prison, creating a potential liability issue for the county. 

Earlier this week, however, several citizens turned out to address commissioners regarding the demolition and what they believe has been a lack of transparency in the decision-making process. 

Balancing the need to preserve elements of historic significance with development and revitalization efforts can often be a delicate process. And as communities like Baldwin County evolve to meet future needs, these kinds of issues will no doubt arise time and time again. 

This recent situation exposes a clear and pressing need for local leaders to establish a framework or guidelines that will help the community avoid the sort of contention that arose this week surrounding the old prison. 

It’s important to ensure that while we laud progress, growth and development that we are not at the same time overzealous in the goal of preserving historic touchstones. 

The reality is simply not every old building can be preserved. It’s too costly, and in many instances, these preservation projects are too much for communities to oversee. But even those who disagree on specific buildings should embrace the concept of compromise when it comes to balancing historic preservation and economic development. Preservation and growth are not incompatible, but rather, essential components of a vital community.

Perhaps if the timeline of events in this instance had been carried out differently, then more historic artifacts from the prison, home of the state’s first electric chair, could have been preserved for generations to come. Working together, county officials and historians could have allowed that to happen; instead, in this instance, it did not. 

History is important and vital to our present and our future. When we erase our history, we leave too much open for others’ interpretation, allowing them to rewrite history any way they choose. We also do future generations a disservice by not providing them a true picture of history and offering them no historical context. 

It is the job of local officials to weigh sometimes-conflicting interests and find the best balance among them. Being open and transparent always helps in that regard. In this most recent instance, it seems transparency wasn’t at the forefront of the process. 

The county was under no legal obligation to disclose the impending demolition of the Georgia Prison Farm. But while it’s too late for this historic building, we should look to ensure an improved, more transparent process in the future for other historic relics.