Georgia Trust names 10 historic sites to 2026 Places in Peril list

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation released its 2026 Places in Peril list.

The list identifies historic sites that are threatened by demolition, neglect, lack of maintenance, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy, according to the news release.

“Places in Peril is about awareness and opportunity,” said W. Wright Mitchell, president and CEO of the Trust, in the news release. “This is the Trust’s twenty-first annual Places in Peril list, and we hope it will continue to bring preservation solutions to Georgia’s imperiled historic resources by highlighting ten representative sites.”

Boggs Rural Life Center

• Location: Keysville, Burke County
• Significance: Boggs Academy started in 1906 as a school for African American children and became a nationally respected boarding school.
• Threat: Lack of maintenance and impacts of Hurricane Helene has earned the center a spot on the Places in Peril list.

Civilian Conservation Corps Camp, Hard Labor Creek State Park

• Location: Rutledge, Morgan County
• Significance: Camp Hard Labor Creek was established in 1934 and is the last remaining Civilian Conservation Corps camp in Georgia.
• Threat: Lack of funding caused the deterioration and vandalism of buildings.

Egleston Hall, All Saints’ Epicopal Church

• Location: Atlanta, Fulton County
• Significance: The church was built in 1918 in the historic Gothic Revival style.
• Threat: Inappropriate development impacted the structural stability of the building.

Legion Pool, University of Georgia

• Location: Athens, Clarke County
• Significance: Legion Pool opened in 1936 and was once the largest pool between Richmond, Virginia, and Miami, Florida.
• Threat: Inappropriate development threatens the demolition of the pool to make way for parking and a greenspace.

McCranie Turpentine Still

• Location: Willacoochee, Atkinson County
• Significance: The McCranie Turpentine Still was built in 1936 and is the best-preserved example of a wood-burning turpentine still in Georgia.
• Threat: The still suffered significant damage during Hurricane Helene.

Orange Hall

• Location: St Marys, Camden County
• Significance: Orange Hall was built in the mid-19th century and represents the Greek Revival style.
• Threat: Lack of maintenance has led to significant structural issues.

Salem Campground

• Location: Covington, Newton County
• Significance: Salem Campground represents Georgia’s oldest and most intact religious camp meeting sites and was established in 1828.
• Threat: Inappropriate development encroaches on the area.

Thomas L. Bell Memorial Ballpark

• Location: Americus, Sumter County
• Significance: Thomas L. Bell Memorial Ballpark opened in 1938 and is a rare wooden baseball stadium.
• Threat: There is no long-term plan to ensure the survival of the ballpark.

Union Brothers and Sisters Mission Hall

• Location: Meridian, McIntosh County
• Significance: Union Brothers and Sisters Mission Hall was built around 1900 and represents one of the last surviving landmarks of the Hudson Community. The Hudson Community was a thriving African American settlement in McIntosh County.
• Threat: Deferred maintenance and vacancy has caused the building to deteriorate.

Wayne County Courthouse

• Location: Jesup, Wayne County
• Significance: Wayne County Courthouse was built in 1902-1903 and represents a Romanesque Revival landmark. 
• Threat: The courthouse suffered a fire in 2025 that caused significant damage.