The Blunt House in Dalton, Ga.

DALTON, Ga. -- During a City Council meeting Monday, the Historic Preservation Commission recognized two people for preserving old buildings in Dalton.

"Every year we look at the work that has been done to see if anyone merits a preservation award," said Joanne Lewis, chairwoman of the commission.

Juan Lama was given the commercial district award for his restoration of downtown buildings.

Lama owns several businesses downtown. His goal is to restore 21 downtown buildings, Lewis said before handing him the award.

Gene Parks was given a residential award for his work on the historic Blunt House. Parks has worked to restore the house over the past year.

One of the most challenging aspects was replacing the rotting siding, Parks said. The original siding could not be matched at any home improvement stores or building supply companies.

Parks had someone specially cut lumber so he could match the original. But he couldn't use the wooden nails used in the original, he noted.

Lewis said the historic commission is always looking for other buildings that can be restored, particularly in the downtown area.

"Our goal is to bring back downtown. If you look, there are many buildings with beautiful brickwork or stonework," she said.

In other business, the City Council approved a traffic control recommendation that bans parking on the east side of Spencer Street from Fort Hill Drive to Hagen Street.

The street is too narrow to allow people to park on both sides of the street, according to the Public Works Department.

Contact Mariann Martin at mmartin@timesfreepress.com or 706-980-5824.