GAgives on #GivingTuesday falls on the Tuesday that follows Thanksgiving, and the retail phenomenons of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, answering the public's appetite to balance holiday "getting" with community "giving," and kicking off the end-of-year fundraising season for nonprofits. Presented by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits (GCN), the event will unify the state in an effort to raise as much money and awareness as possible for Georgia nonprofits in a 24-hour period.
This year, the Thomas County Historical Society asks you to help us further our ongoing upgrades to the Smith Homestead located on our property. The c. 1870 Smith Log House and Kitchen are central to programming and interpretation of our community’s agricultural history. Used year-round for field trips, summer camp, and adult programming, the log house is home to many interactive experiences. Together with the Yeomen Storage Shed and our collection of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century agricultural equipment, the area makes up the Smith Homestead. We hope to use funds raised during #GAGIVES to reconstruct a split-rail fence to surround the homestead, support ongoing maintenance of the log structures, rebuild and relocate our reproduction well, and to make strides toward conserving the farm equipment.
So far this year we have made great progress in bringing the homestead to life with: a new interactive self-guided tour designed by Intern Meme Hand; getting the loom operational with the help of Barbara Beliveau, and installing subtle lighting to the log house bedroom, hall, and kitchen for use during evening events.
The Thomas County Historical Society was formed in 1952 and opened the Thomas County Museum of History within the Flowers-Roberts House in 1972. Since 1972, the Museum’s collections have grown to include more than 500,000 artifacts and archival materials and eight historic structures. The Historical Society, in partnership with the state of Georgia, also operates the historic Lapham-Patterson House. Our board, staff, and growing membership invite you to join us in our dedication to ensuring that the appreciation of our unique history must remain an intrinsic and unbroken thread connecting the past and future through settings that advance our story.
