St. EOM's PASAQUAN, the famous visionary art site located in Marion County has been awarded grants by two different departments of the State of Georgia.

A grant of $6000.00 was awarded in late September to the Pasaquan Preservation Society by the Historic Preservation Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The grant, which must be matched on a 60-40 basis, will help fund a comprehensive preservation and conservation plan for the noted visionary art site.

Just 11 of 31 applications were funded by HPD and two of the successful applications were from Marion County. The historic Marion County Courthouse in Buena Vista was also awarded a grant of $10,000.00 for window repair.

A second grant of $2000.00 was awarded to the Pasaquan Preservation Society by the Grassroots Arts Projects (GAP) program of the Georgia Council for the Arts. The GAP grant will be used to develop and circulate an exhibit that will interpret and illustrate the creation of Pasaquan by the eccentric artist Eddie Owens Martin of Buena Vista, who was also known as St. EOM.

The Historic Preservation Division awarded 11 Georgia Heritage grants for SFY2008, totaling $102,348.  This year's round included 31 applications, requesting assistance totaling almost $600,000.  The Georgia Heritage Grant Program is a 60%--40% reimbursable program, funded through the Georgia state legislature, and provides grants for planning and feasibility studies, as well as stabilization, preservation rehabilitation, and restoration activities at historic sites.  This year's award recipients are:

• Elberton Depot, Elbert County, $19,000, for a new roof
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• Elberton Depot, Elbert County, $19,000, for a new roof
· Roosevelt Cabin, Berry College, Floyd County, $18,000 for window/door/floor repairs
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• St. Paul Rural Life Gillespie-Seldon Community Center, Cordele, Crisp County, $12,000 for window repair
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• St. Paul Rural Life Gillespie-Seldon Community Center, Cordele, Crisp County, $12,000 for window repair
· Marion County Courthouse, Buena Vista, $10,000 for window repair
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• Brick Store, Covington, Newton County, $9,006 for a historic structure report
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• Brick Store, Covington, Newton County, $9,006 for a historic structure report
·Newsome Building, Camilla, Mitchell County, $8,400 for a preservation plan
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• Greenville Gymnasium, Greenville, Meriwether County, $7,200 for a preservation plan
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• Greenville Gymnasium, Greenville, Meriwether County, $7,200 for a preservation plan
·L.P. Grant Mansion, Atlanta, Fulton County, $7,000 for window repair
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• Pasaquan, Buena Vista, Marion County, $6,000 for a preservation plan
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• Pasaquan, Buena Vista, Marion County, $6,000 for a preservation plan
·  Barker's Creek Mill, Hambidge Center, Rabun Gap, $3,000 for wheel/flume repair 
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• Wells-Brown House, Stone Mountain, DeKalb County, $2,742 for single room rehabilitation