MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Allied Arts is giving an historic Milledgeville house a much needed makeover using funds from a grant.
Built in 1810, the Griffin-Baugh Cottage is one of the oldest buildings still standing in Milledgeville.
Now after over two centuries, it's getting a face-lift.
After adding a solid foundation and two chimneys to the cottage, the organization is using an $8,500 grant from the Watson-Brown Foundation to finish revitalizing the space.
Allied Arts plans to use the money to repair windows and restore the structure's exterior paint job.
"To be able to save that kind of history, it's really important," Allied Arts president Brian Renko said. "It's a rarity and it's important to save those structures for educational purposes and for heritage moving forward."
Over its 210 years in Baldwin County, the cottage has had its fair share of close calls.
The home was almost torn down and used for lumber in 1979 before being sold to the city of Milledgeville and moved across the street to its current location.
The Griffin-Baugh Cottage is also important for its architectural details, including its New England saltbox build and federalist-style interior.
"With Georgia being founded as late as it was in the 13 colonies, we would have had that style of architecture flow down from the Northern states," Renko said.
Allied Arts plans to continue improvements inside the cottage after restoring the exterior.
Once finished, the space will be used to continue preserving art and heritage in Baldwin County.
The cottage can be found at the corner of North Wayne and West Montgomery Street in downtown Milledgeville.