The Woodstock Centennial Commission was formed in 1995 to support and promote a 1997 celebration of Woodstock’s 100 years since its incorporation in 1897. This included the publication of Georgia’s Woodstock, a Centennial Tribute, by Felicia Whitmore. In 2006 the group was renamed Preservation Woodstock, Inc. Preservation Woodstock is made up of both longtime and newer residents who are committed to the preservation of landmarks that celebrate the city’s unique history for present and future generations. Organization members meet bimonthly on the second Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November. The meetings are held at Dean’s Store, 8588 Main Street in Woodstock, the official mailing address.
Some of the organization’s more notable activities and projects include:
- Placement of plaques on key homes, businesses and other sites, recognizing their significance in the history of the city.
- Placement of memorial plaques in the city park to commemorate and honor the city’s medical pioneers. This was part of Medical Heritage Day, a program in 2003 which featured speakers representing the families of early doctors in the area and a reunion of members of Woodstock’s past medical community.
- Annual participation in and support of the city’s Holiday Jubilee Parade. The parade was first held on December 6, 1997, and is always on the first Saturday in December to coincide with the anniversary of the signing of the city charter by the state legislature on December 8, 1897. The parade is led by a float or vehicle carrying the mayor and the Barbara Ingram Citizen of the Year recipient. The award is named for the organization’s first secretary who died in late 1986. The award is given to a person in recognition of his or her efforts in the preservation of Woodstock’s heritage.
- Production and sale of note cards and greeting cards with artist renderings of some of Woodstock’s historic homes and buildings.
- Production and distribution of a Woodstock Historic Downtown Walking Tour brochure.
- Support of the Woodstock Visitors Center at Historic Dean’s Store where residents and visitors can experience first-hand the look and feel of Woodstock as it was in the early 1900s. Periodically, Preservation Woodstock assembles and sponsors historic photograph and memorabilia exhibits at Dean’s Store, often including receptions or presentations in conjunction with the exhibits.
- Digital recording, transcriptions, and preservation of oral histories.
Although the formal celebration of the centennial occurred in 1997, the Commission recognized that with the ever-expanding growth of metro Atlanta in and around Woodstock, more and more pressure would likely come to bear to transform the city. Thus the organization maintains its original mission to assure the city’s heritage is not destroyed or forgotten.
