With Partners’ support, Augusta Ca-
nal NHA convened an Advisory Task Force
of leaders from across the community. All
agreed that the best strategy to persuade
Atlanta Light Gas to preserve Mother Trin-
ity was a clearer vision for its future use,
one that was supported by a diverse range
of residents, leaders, and institutions
throughout the city. Partners believed the
Asset-Based Community Development
approach would develop a vision with wide
community support for new uses for the
building by connecting its strengths with
other assets in the larger community.
Partners worked with the NHA to plan
and lead a public Asset-Mapping event in
December 2016, bringing together fifty
stakeholders, activists, leaders, profession-
als, and officials for three hours of dynamic
conversation, relationship-building, and
Assets identified that would support a
potential museum at Mother Trinity
14
new thinking on ways for the building to
serve the community. The entire evening
event was marked by strong attendance,
high energy, and resourceful ideas.
A number of potential reuses emerged
during the facilitated conversations, but
one of the clearest and most interesting was
the potential for Mother Trinity to
serve as a place to interpret local Afri-
can American history within the Na-
tional Heritage Area. Participants en-
visioned it as an interpretive and wel-
come center to help orient visitors com-
ing to enjoy the canal’s trails or engage
with the story of African American
people and life in Augusta’s past. These
and other ideas were compiled, sorted,
and organized by Partners following
the event and shared with the Advisory
Task Force and the Save Mother Trin-
ity circle of supporters.
Rogers, a key leader in the effort,
says that a new “community focus came
through Partners’ guidance, which was
invaluable; otherwise we may have been
voices crying in the wilderness. This process
brought Mother Trinity to the commu-
nity’s attention and especially helped bring
the value of this place to the attention of
Atlanta Light Gas.”
Although Atlanta Light Gas partici-
pated in the asset mapping event and was
supportive of its conclusions, it faced dead-
lines to remediate the site by 2019. An ini-
tial proposal by the city to move the build-
ing to an adjacent parcel was turned down
by the utility, but eventually conversations
moved towards a solution that Atlanta
Light Gas could accept and support, due in
no small way to the persistence and hope of
the community rallied by the NHA. Not
only did the company agree to allow the
SACRED PLACES • AUTUMN/WINTER 2018-19
Asset-mapping event in progress
building to be moved; but it also deeded its
new location to the Augusta Canal NHA
and paid almost half of the $750,000 in
moving costs.
In the two years since Partners led the
asset-mapping event, the hard work of sav-
ing Mother Trinity has continued. “Part-
ners were good cheerleaders for us – this was
a slough,” said Rogers. The building was
moved in June of this year to its new loca-
tion, closer to the banks of the Augusta
Canal. Local residents watched in aston-
ishment as the entire building was slowly
moved, at a rate of about 25 feet a day over
several days. A grant from the Georgia Di-
vision of Historic Preservation is funding a
Historic Structures Report and Preserva-
tion Plan that will permit architects and
building conservators to develop a careful
set of priorities for preserving and restoring
the building. In October, the collective ef-
fort of local leaders was acknowledged
when they were invited to a 178 th Anniver-
sary Celebration held by the Mother Trin-
ity congregation in its new building.
The congregation’s own reflection on
the long journey of its landmark birthplace
is summed up by pastor Rev. Mason: “We
are so grateful that community stakehold-
ers and everyone saw the value in this
building and came together to save it. God
answered our prayers. He sent us the
Augusta Canal NHA and Partners—and so
many wonderful people came. People
thought it couldn't be done but it was tre-
mendous. It means a lot to us physically
and spiritually.”
And as Rev. Mason emphasizes, saving
Mother Trinity “gives hope to other his-
toric churches” as well; instead of suffering
loss or demolition, sacred places can be
given new life and new hope.