Current and former Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society chairs stand together at a party hosted by Terri and Steve Cole at their Marietta home recognizing and honoring all Former Landmarks Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1974 to 2013.
Special to the MDJ
Special to the MDJ
“If not us, then who?” asked Stewart Campbell, who co-chairs CLHS for 2013 along with his wife, JoAnn. The Marietta residents have two grown children.
“We (CLHS) are trying to preserve the rich history and heritage that Marietta offers. It’s broad and wide,” he said.
Preservation is at the forefront of the non-profit.
“There’s not a connection without remembering the past. It’s our responsibility that our children understand where they came from and what their roots are, how their community was formed and managed through hard times. Only then can they fully relate to what is going on around them today in their current lives,” Campbell said.
One of the ways CLHS connects people to the past is through the historic properties it owns like the Root House Museum, a portrayal of how Marietta families lived in the past. CLHS is also a steward of the Powers Cabin.
“The Root House is a real jewel. It takes you back to 1850 through the life of a middle class merchant. The collections are authentic along with the furnishings and garden. It fills an education void that wouldn’t be filled otherwise,” said Campbell, sales and marketing manager at Robert Bowden Inc. He and his wife joined CLHS five years ago after President of RBI Steve Cole and his wife, Terri, introduced them to the organization.
Campbell said there are 58 house museums in Georgia, most of which are publicly owned with only a small percentage owned by private nonprofits like CLHS.
“We need the community. It’s a misperception that the Root House gets a lot of public funding. Community support is needed,” he said.
More than half of the monies needed to support CLHS comes from donations, memberships, sponsors and fundraisers. “It’s a fight to keep it up like we want to,” he said.
Sylvia Ingram, who co-chaired CLHS with her husband Hon. Conley Ingram in 1980, recalled one of the most valuable projects during their tenure was the Vanishing Georgia project conducted in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Archives and History. Cobb Countians brought more than 800 pictures that Georgia Archives members, equipped with a van and photographic equipment, copied. A set is housed in the Georgia Archives as well as the Georgia Room of the Main Library.
“We are honored to have served in a leadership roll with Cobb Landmarks and remain proud of the unique contribution Cobb Landmarks continues to make to preserve our history,” Conley Ingram said.
“(CLHS) continues to benefit our community through the efforts of a great many people who are dedicated to the preservation of our rich heritage,” Ingram said.
To learn more, visit www.cobblandmarks.com or call (678) 594-4994.
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From what I have observed of this crowd, there is little overlap.
That being said, there is definitely an overlap of the two in Cobb Landmarks. I can not speak for every board member and member, past and present, but I know and have worked with most of the recent Board of Trustees. (No, I am not a board member and have never been one-- but I am a member and supporter of CLHS) So many of those people donate their time and talents to further the cause of preservation for Cobb County. Many of the people pictured in the article I have personally seen digging in the dirt, cleaning out historic houses, putting together meaningful and educational programs, and presenting our history to Cobb and Marietta school children.
Please do not short change their efforts for a very important cause.
Thank you MDJ for spotlighting this organization.