THOMASVILLE- Archi-Camp, formerly Camp LPH, underwent an expansion to five days this year, giving the Thomasville History Center and Thomasville Landmarks the opportunity to expand the camp curriculum. This meant more time for field trips and talks with experts in the field. Campers toured the Dawson Street Historic District with Janet Cable and Nancy Tinker of Landmarks to the Dewey City Historic District with Sarah Byrne of the Jack Hadley Black History Museum. These walks inspired campers’ own designs for their tabletop neighborhood.
Urban planner Kenny Thompson and Landscape Architect Scott Chastain explained the thought and process that went into the redevelopment of the West Jackson Street or “Bottom” District. Jack Hadley and the staff of the museum led us through the history and future plans of the Imperial Hotel and Shotgun House while Eric Menninger of EAM Preservation and George Banks of Good Shepherd Episcopal demonstrated how the church and neighborhood evolved over time. Architect Bill Edwards gave the campers words of advice on their house plans.
At the end of the week, the campers took what they learned to create their own buildings and neighborhood, which includes two beach houses, two businesses, and two homes in-town (though one home was clearly in the process of demolition by neglect). Theirs is a neighborhood that has evolved from a quaint small town to a developing beach town. View the campers’ creations through July at the Lapham-Patterson House.
The Thomasville History Center was formed in 1952 and opened the museum within the Flowers-Roberts House in 1972. Since 1972, the History Center’s collections have grown to include more than 500,000 artifacts and archival materials and eight historic structures. The History Center, in partnership with the state of Georgia, also operates the historic Lapham-Patterson House. Their board, staff, and growing membership invites the public to join them in enriching the community through the exploration and discovery of its history, people, and stories.