The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) is the city-appointed body tasked with administering the City’s review process by applying the standards of the Historic Preservation District Overlay Design Guidelines.

The Historic Preservation Commission is housed in the Locust Grove Main Street Program with oversite by Colleen Cook, Main Street Program Manager.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Historic Preservation Commission shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

• Stimulate revitalization of the business districts and historic neighborhoods and to protect and enhance local historic and aesthetic attractions to tourists and thereby promote and stimulate business
• Enhance the opportunities for federal or state tax benefits under relevant provisions of federal or state law financing (by loan, grant, lease, borrow or otherwise) projects for the public good
• Prepare and maintain an inventory of all property within the City of Locust Grove having the potential for designation as historic property
• Recommend to the City Council specific districts, sites, buildings, structures, or objects to be designated by ordinance as historic properties or historic districts
• Review application for certificates of appropriateness, and grant or deny same in accordance with the provisions of this UDO
• Recommend to the City Council that the designation of any district, site, building, structure, or object as a property or as a historic district be revoked or removed
• Restore or preserve any historic properties acquired by the city
• Conduct educational programs on historic properties located within the city and on general historic preservation activities
• Make such investigation and studies of matters relating to historic preservation, including consultation with historic preservation experts, the City Council or the HPC itself may, from time to time, deem necessary or appropriate for the purposes of preserving historic resources
• Seek out local, state, federal or private funds for historic preservation and seek pre-approval from City Council for any grant request and make recommendations on the findings to the City Council concerning the most appropriate uses of any funds acquired
• Consult with historic preservation experts in the Division of Historic Preservation of the Department of Natural Resources or its successor and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, Inc.
• Submit to the Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Natural Resources (or its successor) a list of historic properties of historic districts designated
• Perform historic preservation activities as the official agency of the city historic preservation program
• Employ persons, if necessary, to carry out the responsibilities of the HPC
• Receive donations, grants, funds, or gifts of historic property and acquire and sell historic properties. The HPC shall not obligate the city without prior consent
• Review and make comments to the Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Natural Resources concerning the nomination of properties within its jurisdiction to the National Register of Historic Places
• Participate in private, state and federal historic preservation programs and with the consent of the City Council, enter into agreements to do the same

Members

HPC is a five-member board serving three-year terms. All members shall be residents of the city or the owner of a property in the historic district and a majority of the members shall be persons who have demonstrated special interest, experience or education in history, architecture or the preservation of historic resources. 

The City of Locust Grove was designated in 2014 by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Historic Preservation Division as a Certified Local Government for our outstanding level of commitment to local preservation. Information regarding the Locust Grove National Register District (honorary) and the protected Historic Preservation District Overlay can be found below.

• HDPO Ordinance (approved May 2, 2011)

• Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) Form

• Locust Grove HPDO Design Guidelines – Please note that the HPDO includes only commercial buildings. The included residential guidelines are used for commercial buildings with residential character or features within the commercial district.

• Facade Grant Application Packet- Grants available to businesses inside the HPDO

• Locust Grove Historic District Listed in the National Register of Historic Places (August 3, 2016, Press Release) – This designation allows property owners to become eligible for tax credits to perform restoration work to structures within the district boundaries.

Meetings

HPC meetings are held as needed on the first Tuesday of each month at 5:00 p.m. in the City Hall 1st floor conference room.