Audio clip
Tommy Littleton
Howard Finster's Paradise Gardens in Chattooga County, Ga., has been named to a preservation group's "Places in Peril" list.
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation included the late folk artist's four-acre property on its fifth annual list, released Wednesday.
In a statement, the group said the list aims to raise awareness about Georgia's significant historic, archaeological and cultural resources that are threatened by demolition, neglect, lack of maintenance, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy.
The late Mr. Finster's gardens, packed with folk art items such as a 20-foot statue made of bicycle frames and his famous paintings of Coca-Cola bottles, have been featured on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" and in music videos and cover art for the groups R.E.M., Talking Heads and others.
Mr. Finster died in 2001.
The preservation group's list cited damage to the fragile materials in the Mr. Finster's art, located in the damp climate of a former swamp. Constant damage from the elements has harmed many of the dozen or so structures, according to the report.
Tommy Littleton, chairman of Paradise Gardens Park and Museum, called 2009 the "most successful year" for restoration efforts at the gardens. He has volunteer workdays and fundraisers planned for the spring, he said, including Finster Fest the first weekend in May.
Mr. Littleton said the attention gained by the list could be a "shot in the arm" for his efforts.
"We are making an effort to save it, but funding is very difficult to get," he said. Last year's Finster Fest raised $1,200.
This winter, he and other workers plan to work on Mr. Finster's famous Folk Art Chapel and improve handicap access to the gardens. The property is closed for the winter but open by appointment by calling 423-619-8154.
IMPERILED SITES
* Central State Hospital, Milledgeville
* Morris Brown College, Atlanta
* Canton Grammar School, Cherokee County
* Leake archaeological site, Cartersville
* Dorchester Academy, Midway
* Old Dodge County Jail, Eastman
* Ritz Theatre, Thomaston
* Herndon Plaza, Atlanta
* Capricorn Recording Studio, Macon
Source: Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
Andy began working at the Times Free Press in July 2008 as a general assignment reporter before focusing on Northwest Georgia and Georgia politics in May of 2009. Before coming to the Times Free Press, Andy worked for the Anniston Star, the Rome News Tribune and the Campus Carrier at Berry College, where he graduated with a communications degree in 2006. He is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration at the University of Tennessee ...
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