All posts tagged splost

FREEMAN’S MILL PARK WINS HISTORIC AWARD

By | April 14, 2011 | Featured | No comments
freemansmillpark

Freeman’s Mill Park won the Excellence in Restoration from The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. The award was presented at the 34th annual Preservation Awards ceremony in Macon on April 1.

“This year’s winners represent a tremendous dedication to restoring and revitalizing Georgia’s historic buildings and communities,” said Mark C. McDonald, president of The Georgia Trust. “We are proud to honor such deserving projects.”

Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation embarked on a preservation plan and subsequent rehabilitation of the historic Freeman’s Mill, located in the new Freeman’s Mill Park. The structure is an excellent example of a typical rural gristmill that would have been found along rivers throughout Georgia in the mid-19th century. The Freeman family continued to grind mill until it was closed in 1986, and, despite some alterations, it has retained the majority of its original features including, the mill wheel, gears, drive shafts and belts. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

In 2002, the County received funds through the Georgia Greenspace Program to purchase the mill and 11 acres for educational and recreational use offering Gwinnett County citizens a sense of the agricultural past. Additional funding came from a 2005 Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST).  The County recognized the historical significance of this landmark and was committed to preserving it for future generations.  Consultants were hired to produce a Preservation Plan and the subsequent architectural work to guide the proper treatment of the mill.

The first phase of park construction raised the historic mill 5 feet to get it above the regulated floodplain. Construction also included a new foundation and retaining wall, restoration of the water wheel and windows, a new roof, and repair to the siding and doors.

Today, the mill is completely stabilized and will stand for years to come as an important vernacular resource that tells an important story about the industrial history of Gwinnett County. Freeman’s Mill Park opened to the public in December 2009.

For more than 30 years, the Trust has recognized preservation projects and individuals in the state who have made significant contributions to the field of historic preservation. Awards are presented on the bases of the contributions of the person or project to the community and/or state on compliance to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Freeman’s Mill Park is located at 1401 Alcovy Road in Lawrenceville. Park hours are sunrise to sunset. For more information, visit www.gwinnettparks.com or call (770) 822-8840.


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Western Gwinnett Bikeway Construction Set to Begin

By | May 22, 2010 | Parks | No comments

The Western Gwinnett Bikeway is a project that has been in the works for 8 years and involves 5 federal grants and City SPLOST funds. The project will be done in two Phases with the first connecting the County portion of the bikeway at Summerchase near N. Berkeley Lake Road and running to Pleasant Hill Road along the edge of Peachtree Industrial. Once Phase II is complete the bikeway will extend to Rogers Bridge Road and tie into the Rogers Bridge Bikeway that was just completed. The bikeway will allow people to bike, roller blade, walk, and jog to stores and recreation without needing their automobile. A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for 10:00am June 5th at Rogers Bridge Park for the newly acquired 11 acres of Park Land and the Rogers Bridge Bikeway that both used grant funds and SPLOST funds. A Dog Park will be the next amenity offered at Rogers Bridge Park that will also use SPLOST funds.

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FREEMAN’S MILL PARK NOW OPEN

By | December 24, 2009 | Multi-Purpose Trail, Parks, Playgrounds | No comments

Where can Gwinnett’s kids go to see that groceries didn’t always come from the local grocery store? At Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation’s Freeman’s Mill Park, kids will get the opportunity to play among history.

This newest park along the banks of the Alcovy River includes a unique playground that replicates a gristmill, picnic pavilion, half-mile multi-purpose trail, parking and restroom facilities as well as the historic Freeman’s grist mill.

The mill was built sometime between 1868 and 1879 by brothers John Griffin Loveless and Levi J. Loveless. In 1913 W. Scott Freeman and his son, Winfield, owned it until it was purchased in 1915 by Newt Pharr. Winfield descendants continued to operate the mill through the twentieth century. In the late 1990’s the mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places for its significance in architecture, engineering, industry, and social history. As of 1996, the mill was the only working grist mill remaining in Gwinnett County.

Freeman’s Mill played an important role in the local community in early Gwinnett County. Local farmers would bring their wheat and corn to the miller to be turned into flour and meal. Alcova Baptist Church, located up the street from the mill, used the mill pond for baptisms and the millhouse itself, provided a gathering place for the surrounding rural community. The water powered grist mill was preferred by many farmers because it would grind the corn more slowly than electric mills, resulting in a sweeter taste.

The mill changed hands several times over the years until Gwinnett County purchased the mill and surrounding property in 2002 with funding available from the Georgia Greenspace Program and the 2005 SPLOST. In 2009, the county raised and restored the mill and surrounding 12 acres for educational and recreational use offering Gwinnett County citizens a sense of the agricultural past.

Freeman’s Mill Park is located at 1401 Alcovy Road in Lawrenceville. Park hours are sunrise to sunset. For more information, visit www.gwinnettparks.com or call (770) 822-5178.

Master Plan (PDF)

Freemans Mill Park

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BOGAN PARK GETS NEW PLAYGROUNDS

By | December 19, 2009 | Parks, Playgrounds | 2 Comments

Three old playgrounds at Bogan Park will be replaced with new equipment and new safety surfaces over the coming months. Upgrades will include an improved retaining wall, better drainage, shade canopies and benches.

Commissioners awarded a contract for almost $270,000 to PlayCore Wisconsin, Inc., dba GameTime/Dominica Recreation of Longwood, FL. The money to pay for it will come from SPLOST. “This is a much-needed improvement and the funds were already designated for it through the 2005 SPLOST program,” said District 4 Commissioner Kevin Kenerly.

All three playgrounds will be ADA-accessible with engineered wood fiber surfacing and concrete ramps that attach to the surfaces similar to a boat ramp in a lake. The new equipment will feature several activity panels, drums and a hand cycler. Bridges, climbers and slides will also accessible from transfer platforms for children who are able to pull themselves out of a wheelchair and onto the playground deck.

Work will be phased so that one playground will always remain open, with all three playground renovations complete by spring 2010.

The 83-acre Bogan Park, at 2733 North Bogan Road near Buford, features an indoor aquatic center, double gym, ball fields and two miles of trails. Gwinnett County parks were named best in the nation last year by the National Recreation and Park Association.

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NEW TRAIL ACCESS, PLAYGROUNDS COMING SOON TO BETHESDA AND RHODES JORDAN PARKS

By | November 17, 2009 | Playgrounds, Trails | No comments

There will soon be a new Ivy Creek Greenway access trail from Buford Drive/State Route 20 near the Mall of Georgia. The existing 2.7-mile long greenway trail starts at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center and ends near Gravel Springs Road. The 12-foot wide asphalt multi-purpose trail will be 960 feet long, running roughly parallel to the I-85 southbound exit ramp.

JHC Corporation was the lowest of five bidders at $221,600. The construction will include a retaining wall, paving, landscaping and guardrail. A small directional kiosk will be built where the trail intersects the existing sidewalk on Buford Drive.

Community Services Director Phil Hoskins said, “This new spur trail, funded by the 2005 SPLOST program, is part of a planned network of greenway trails throughout the county.” Work is expected to begin soon once the contract is signed.

The Board of Commissioners also approved new playgrounds for Bethesda Park and Rhodes Jordan Park. The playgrounds are located within the baseball complexes at both sites. The funding for these park improvements also comes from 2005 SPLOST revenues. Hasley Recreation and Design, Inc., received the $175,000 contract to remove and replace the two existing playgrounds.

111709_CS_IvyCreekGreenway_map

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