Wright Mitchell brings historic preservation to life online.
It’s rare to meet an Atlanta native; it’s even rarer to meet a Buckhead one. Wright Mitchell grew up in Buckhead and attended The Lovett School, the University of South Carolina and Emory University School of Law. He practiced law for almost 30 years but always had historic preservation on his mind. “I saw things in my own neighborhood of Peachtree Heights West that troubled me,” he says. That led him to found the Buckhead Heritage Society in 2005. In September 2023, he jumped from law to historic preservation full-time as the president and CEO of The Georgia Trust, one of the largest statewide nonprofit organizations in the country focused on preservation. “I now get to do something I love for a living rather than just a hobby,” he says. Here, he talks about preservation, social media and his ties to Buckhead.
What does The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation do?
We save the places that tell Georgia’s story. We have a revolving fund to acquire distressed properties. We match them with preservation minded buyers, place an easement on the property when it’s sold and monitor it in perpetuity. There are 83 of those across the state, including the condominium building at 2909 Peachtree Road and a home at 15 Cherokee Road.
We work with organizations like Buckhead Heritage Society or the Atlanta Preservation Center, and we highlight places in peril. We also hold member events such as educational programs and tours of homes and historic buildings. Our members love our “rambles,” seasonal tours that take them inside Georgia’s private homes like no one else does. Our spring ramble is in April in Columbus.
You started a social media account highlighting historic preservation that now tops 20,000 followers. What keeps it fun for you?
When I started at The Georgia Trust, I established a separate account and posted things as I traveled around the state. I was in Macon at Hay House, an Italianate mid-1800s home the Trust owns. I filmed a quick video of the homeowner telling me the history of the pool, which was the water source for the city of Macon during the Civil War. It blew up and made me think that there was something more to this engaging, on-camera explanation and discussion of historic sites.
There’s no plan, but I research these stories heavily. I look in the AJC and drill down to get interesting facts and make sure what I’ve always heard or believed to be true is correct. I love learning about history, art and architecture. People seem to respond well.
The Buckhead stuff is funny. I filmed a video about the Willis B. Jones house on West Paces Ferry Road on the way to Goldbergs to get my bagels one morning. I think it’s as much fun for me as it is for my followers because I’m educating myself at the same time.
Tell us about the book you wrote.
Georgia’s First Elected Governor: John Adam Treutlen and the American Revolution was published earlier this year, and proceeds benefit The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Treutlen was a German immigrant who came to America as an indentured servant in 1746 and settled in Savannah. He spoke English and German; people don’t realize that 40- 50% of settlers here were not English. He became a vital conduit. He was part of the Revolutionary government that formed our Constitution. He was Georgia’s first elected governor and was murdered by loyalists in South Carolina in 1782. He was also my sixth great-grandfather.
THE GEORGIA TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
404.881.9980
georgiatrust.org
@thegeorgiatrust
@preserve_georgia
PHOTO: Erik Meadows
