CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 10/19/21

Rock Eagle Chapel restoration wins prestigious award

By Arch D. Smith
Original Rock Eagle Chapel
Pictured here, the original Rock Eagle Chapel was constructed in the 1950s and has served countless 4-H'ers in the decades since.

Georgia 4-H was responsible for one of 20 historic preservation projects honored by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation during its 44th annual Preservation Awards ceremony in Macon in October.

Georgia 4-H was specifically honored for Excellence in Restoration for its exemplary restoration of the Rock Eagle 4-H Center Chapel.

The chapel, considered the geographical center and heart of the Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, was nearly lost to a fire in 2019.

The original 1953 blueprints were used to guide a full restoration of Rock Eagle Chapel using the original rock walls, which remained intact after the fire. Douglas fir trees from North Carolina were sourced to recreate the trusses and interior paneling. Several original light fixtures were restored and reused.

A surviving charred pew sits as a reminder of the fire, while new pews were handcrafted based on the woodwork of the originals. The front door’s 1950s-era hardware and hinges are intact, and the company that created the first stained-glass windows for the chapel was able to recreate replacement windows.

Erected in the 1950s, the chapel has served as a gathering place for countless Georgia 4-H’ers, and it has also long served the area as a popular wedding venue. The structure was designed by Grady Smith, an architect with Cooper, Barrett, Skinner, Woodbury and Cooper, and was known for its distinctive wooden roof trusses and native rock walls hand-gathered from the surrounding property.

Restored Rock Eagle Chapel
The chapel was restored in 2020 with the help of donors. 

According to the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, the chapel represents “an accurate restoration project depicting the form, features and character of a historic building as it appeared at a particular period of time. The Georgia Trust praised the restoration project as “requiring sensitive upgrading of mechanical systems and other code-required work to make the site functional.”

Nearly $500,0000 was raised through the generosity of more than 300 donors to help complete the $1.3 million project. The largesse included a lead gift of $200,000 from 4-H alumna Kelly Loeffler.

In addition, more than $65,000 was donated at the 2019 Georgia 4-H Foundation Gala through a special “paddle raise” event. Those gifts, along with more than $500,000 from insurance and $300,000 from Rock Eagle’s operating budget, allowed the chapel to be restored while retaining historic connections to the original building. Rock Eagle 4-H Center attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year, serving as one of Putnam County’s largest employers, and the chapel’s restoration was vital to the center’s operations.

A fire in 2019 nearly destroyed the building, built in the 1950s.
A fire in 2019 nearly destroyed the building, which was built in the 1950s.
Only the original rock walls were left standing after the fire.
Only the original rock walls were left standing after the fire. 
Douglas Fir trees from North Carolina were sourced to recreate the trusses and interior paneling.
Douglas fir trees from North Carolina were sourced to recreate the trusses and interior paneling. 
Several original light fixtures were restored and reused.
Several original light fixtures were restored and reused in the restoration project.  

 

To learn more about 4-H programs and facilities at Rock Eagle, visit georgia4h.org/4-h-centers.

Arch Smith is the director of Georgia 4-H.

Authors:
Arch D. Smith
Experts/Sources:
Arch D. Smith
Seth McAllister and farmer Mark Daniel discuss crop production and agritourism. CAES News
UGA Extension supports agritourism through expert advice and collaboration 10/24/24 Emily Cabrera
On a sunny day with bright-blue skies, I arrive at Mark’s Melon Patch in Sasser, Georgia, and immediately spot the familiar white University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pickup truck, the Terrell County Extension logo prominently displayed on the door. Seth McAllister, the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Terrell County, greets me with a broad grin and a firm handshake. Terrell County alone has 60,000 acres of row crops, half in cotton. But what McAllister loves most about his role as an Extension agent is the diversity of his work.
Ropes course at Georgia 4-H camp CAES News
Campers create lasting memories of summer at Georgia's 4-H centers 10/07/24 Josie Smith
By the end of his first week at 4-H summer camp, fifth grader Cooper Hardy already had many memories of new and exciting experiences. “That was the first time I got in a canoe,” Hardy said. “It was a big deal for me.” Now, 10 years later, Hardy serves as a Georgia 4-H camp counselor at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Georgia. It’s a dream he’s held since the first time he set foot on the sprawling, wooded 1,500-acre campus as a camper.
Caroline Hinton is the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. (Photo by Peter Frey/UGA) CAES News
Director of experiential learning herds students toward new fields of education 10/02/24 Averi Caldwell
Caroline Hinton wants to foster a love of learning for all students who walk through her door. As the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Hinton helps students connect with their fields of study outside of the classroom. “I find joy and excitement in getting to watch students experience different parts of agriculture and find a place in our state’s own agriculture industry,” she said.
The University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel saw some damage from the winds and rain of Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA) CAES News
UGA weathers Hurricane Helene 09/27/24
The University of Georgia’s main campus was fortunate to emerge relatively unscathed after Hurricane Helene barreled through the state early Friday morning. However, the impact was more significant at our extended campus locations. While the UGA Griffin campus reported no major damage, UGA-Tifton was hit much harder, with dozens of downed trees and power outages, as well as flooding in several buildings. Damage to farm operations across south Georgia appears to be extensive.
Honorees at the 2024 State 4-H Congress included 4-H Green Jacket Award winner Jay Morgan, Master 4-H’er Vidhi Patel, Warnell Associate Dean for Outreach Nick Fuhrman for Warnell accepting the Friend of 4-H Award on behalf of the college, Georgia 4-H State President Kingston Ryals, William H. Booth Award winner Patrick Willis, and Ryles Rising Star Award Laura Mirarchi. CAES News
Outstanding youth, supportive adults celebrated at Georgia 4-H State Congress 08/14/24 Josie Smith
Accomplished 4-H youth and the adults who empower them gathered at the 81st Georgia 4-H State Congress in Atlanta July 23-26. The weeklong event for top 4-H’ers features state-level Project Achievement and Leadership in Action competitions and recognizes youth development professionals and community supporters contributing to the success of 4-H in Georgia. More than 200 youth delegates competed in 50 Project Achievement areas and eight youth delegates competed in the Leadership in Action contest during annual event.
Local 4-H students helped install more than 500 plants in the 400-square-foot plot below the mural. (Photo by Sara Ingram) CAES News
Public art helping to revive rural communities 07/26/24 Margaret Blanchard
In Buena Vista, a vibrant mural at the corner of North Broad Street and Fifth Avenue catches the eyes of passers-by with its bright blue border. Funded by Flint Energies, the mural tells the story of the longleaf pine forests that once dominated Marion County and the turpentine industry, flora and fauna that the trees supported — from gopher tortoises to bobwhite quail.