(SAVANNAH, GA) In celebration of National Historic Preservation Month, Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) and the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum have partnered with Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) to welcome Hugh Golson, former president of the Savannah-Chatham Board of Education and retired history and historic preservation teacher, as the next presenter in its “People, Places and Stories that Define Savannah” lecture series. The presentation is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 18, at the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, located at 460 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Savannah.
Golson will share a personal account of the work of W. W. Law (1923-2002) and his many contributions to preservation in Savannah.
The Savannah native is also the former chair of the Savannah Historic District Board of Review, the Savannah-Chatham Historic Site & Monument Commission, Historic Savannah’s Revolving Fund, and the Davenport House Museum’s Endowment Fund.
“We are delighted to have Mr. Golson join us as part of our lecture series,” HSF Education & Research Associate Kimberly Newbold said. “He will share his personal perspectives of Mr. Law as an ardent preservationist whose love of his community and perseverance greatly impacted our city.”
In the early 1990s, W. W. Law spearheaded a movement to secure funds for a museum to commemorate Savannah’s civil rights struggle. As a result, the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum was opened in the former site of the Wage Earners Savings and Loan Bank on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (formerly West Broad Street.) Old West Broad Street was once the hub of downtown Savannah’s Black community, and Mr. Law envisioned the Civil Rights Museum as a catalyst for a cultural and economic revitalization of the area.
Free parking is available on-site. The event is open to the public, however, space is limited so reservations are required. Attendance is free for HSF members and $15 for non-members. Members may RSVP by emailing Kimberly Newbold at knewbold@myhsf.org or call 912-483-7294. The $15 nonmember registration fee can be paid by visiting HSF’s website, www.myhsf.org
For information about other HSF events, please visit myhsf.org or call 912-233-7787, and follow HSF on its social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
ABOUT HISTORIC SAVANNAH FOUNDATION
Historic Savannah Foundation, a leading nonprofit preservation and cultural institution, saves buildings, places, and stories that define Savannah’s past, present, and future. Following its formation in 1955, the organization started a Revolving Fund to save endangered historic properties, now totaling over 420 buildings throughout several of Savannah’s historic districts. HSF continues to build capacity within its operations, secure new financial resources improve its image and visibility, and increase public policy efforts to protect Savannah’s historic districts. For more information about the work of the Historic Savannah Foundation, visit www.myhsf.org.
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