Fire at the Chastain Park Conservancy
Shortly after 5 p.m. Friday, January 4, fire broke out at the offices of the Chastain Park Conservancy. While no one was injured and all of the Conservancy’s pets are safe, the 1940’s-era Quonset hut and all its contents were a total loss. The cause has not been determined, though old wiring could be to blame. A nearby greenhouse suffered minor damage, the pavilion and farm area were unscathed.
The Conservancy, according to executive director Rosa McHugh, has accepted the generous offer of the Chastain Horse Park and will temporarily relocate to its building at 4371 Powers Ferry Road. Rosa said office records were stored in the cloud, so business functions can continue. Tools and maintenance supplies can be stored in the watershed building.
With loss comes opportunity. The Conservancy contributes significantly to Chastain Park and the City is committed to providing it a facility from which to continue its mission. I have asked that the City of Atlanta Parks Department, in conjunction with the Conservancy, other Chastain organizations, neighbors and park patrons, take time to assess how best to meet the future needs of the Conservancy and the community. Like Atlanta’s symbol, the Phoenix, the Conservancy will rise from these ashes even stronger than before. The City and I are committed to that.
If you’d like to help, the Conservancy has established a GoFundMe site: https://www.gofundme.com/restore-chastain. You can also become a member or financial supporter of the Conservancy, a 501c3 non-profit, by going to chastainparkconservancy.org and clicking the ‘donate’ button. All gifts are tax-deductible.
There are also opportunities to volunteer to work in the park. Coming up: the annual MLK Day park volunteer effort on January 21. The next monthly ‘first Saturday’ work day is 9 a.m. to noon February 2. The playground will be the sole focus for the Saturday effort. For details, contact Rosa at rosa@chastainparkconservancy.org.
What follows is Rosa’s account of how the Conservancy will move forward:
‘It is amazing how much history can be lost in an instant. Our Quonset hut, which I lovingly referred to as ‘shabby chic,’ but which is more commonly known as 'The Barn,' burned to the ground. So many memories were made in this building. The Quonset hut was built in the 1940s and served as the operations headquarters back then for the construction of Chastain Park as we know it today.
‘It stood the test of time. Through the vision and engagement of Chastain Park neighbors, led by Conservancy co-founder Ray Mock, who died last year, it became our headquarters in the early 2000s.
‘We not only lost our headquarters and equipment, we lost a special building - a meeting place for volunteers, garden clubs and the community at large. The Quonset hut was a place where work was done, but also a place where friendships were made. Quonset huts, mass-produced by the military for World War II use, were simple metal domed structures that served utilitarian purposes. Ours lived up to that standard. Our facility, nestled in the middle of the park's golf course, was accessible by a drive off of Powers Ferry Road.
Although, the facility was lost, the drive and commitment of our board, members, park partners, neighbors and park users to Chastain Park remains unyielding. We will strive to continue our mission to restore, enhance, maintain and preserve the park.
We are grateful to the firefighters for their prompt response and professionalism. We are thankful no one was hurt and none of our pets --- our cat Johnson, our goat Chuck, our two roosters and countless honeybees --- are all alive and well.’
|
