Georgia College and State University

In our business, you often get to help turn back the hands of time and breathe new life into a timeless treasure. Such was the case when Stromberg Architectural Products of Greenville was called in to help in the ongoing restoration of Atkinson Hall on the Campus of Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Georgia.

Atkinson Hall is the oldest building on the University's campus. Built in 1896 when the school was still known as Georgia Normal and Industrial College, it still stands today as a centerpiece of the main campus. This almost wasn't the case.

Originally built as a dormitory for the all-female student population, the original structure featured a front façade of four balconies. The building received a facelift in 1930 in which the verandah was removed for a more modern look. As the school operated through the 1940s, the hall started falling into disrepair. Problems with the building contributed to a 1944 outbreak of salmonella among 140 students in the dining room, and the dorm facility was condemned by state authorities in 1953. After 1955, only the first floor remained in use, while the upstairs rooms were reverted to use as storage space only.

In January 1977, students arrived on campus after the Christmas break to find water cascading down the front porch of Atkinson Hall, with one column having collapsed and taken out a nearby lamp post during its fall. The alumni association of the school began a drive to save the structure, and along with a state grant, eventually secured more than $4 million for the project. Beginning in 1979, the massive effort to restore Atkinson Hall included plans to create classrooms, conference rooms, a student lounge, offices, a TV station, and the installation of an elevator. The exterior of was restored according to the 1930 specifications. Classes were held in the building for the first time in 1982, but work on the building has continued.

In 1994, Stromberg Architectural Products of Greenville, TX was called in to recreate the majestic columns and pilasters that line the front porch of the building. The structure's age and value as an aesthetic reference point of a distinctive design period earned it a spot in the National Registry of Historic Places in 1972. Work performed on such a building must pass the highest level of scrutiny, and Stromberg has a comprehensive understanding of both the mechanical requirements and historical design concepts needed to meet the demands of this type of task.

With Stromberg's Cast Stone, featuring a compressive strength three times stronger than the natural product and much-improved weather resistance, students can rest assured that each semester they will return to campus without seeing a repeat performance of the 1977 collapse.