More than 100 historical preservation enthusiasts from across the state will descend on Milledgeville later this year to put the former capital of Georgia under a microscope and undergo training associated with preserving and preparing historical sites.

Monday evening the Georgia Alliance of Preservation Commissions, or GAPC, informed the Milledgeville Historical Preservation Commission and city officials via e-mail that Milledgeville had been selected as the host city for the GAPC training session this fall.

“I am so pleased to let you know that the GAPC board has selected Milledgeville as the host city for the 2008 Fall HPC Training. Everyone is so excited that your city bid. Milledgeville has a lot to offer, and we are looking forward to being there,” Jennifer Lewis, certified local government coordinator with the UGA Center for Community Design & Preservation, said.

The Milledgeville HPC, composed of local representatives, had entertained the idea of bidding for the GAPC’s fall training meeting in late 2007.

Paperwork was completed earlier this year with the blessing of City Manager Scott Wood, Milledgeville Mayor Richard Bentley and the Milledgeville City Council, according to John Alton, HPC chairman.

“The HPC is very excited to have been chosen to have our city showcased to the entire State Preservation community through their annual preservation training. A special thanks must go to the city manager, mayor and the entire city council for their complete support of the training concept throughout the application process,” Alton said in an e-mailed statement to The Union-Recorder.

The Georgia Alliance of Preservation Commissions (GAPC) is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to local historic preservation commissions and design review issues for local governments, according to the organization’s Web site, www.uga.edu/gapc/training.htm.

The GAPC sponsors training twice per year in the spring and fall, and a different Georgia community hosts each training.

Former selected sites have included Tybee Island (2001), Madison (2002), Brunswick (2003), Savannah (2004), Decatur (2005), Rome (2006), Elberton (2007) and Douglas (spring 2008).

While the number of competing cities for the fall 2008 bid was unknown at press time, the fact that Milledgeville won the bid demonstrates the city’s commitment to historical preservation and the county’s dedication to the same, according to Bentley.

“This is just another reaffirmation that Milledgeville is becoming a destination and a place for people to visit from around the state,” Bentley said. “We welcome the state agency, and it’s a sense of pride that we have been selected for this event. We will roll out the red carpet for them and we want to put our best foot forward and make a good impression while they’re here.”

Heather Holder, who oversees Milledgeville Main Street, the organization tasked with overseeing the downtown area that includes more than 15 historic buildings, said via an e-mailed statement that the work put into the city’s bid and the cooperation between multiple organizations and jurisdictions may have helped to sway the GAPC in their decision.

“We just want to say thank you to the city, the Milledgeville/Baldwin County Convention & Visitors Bureau and anyone else that agreed to assist as this conference could bring 150 people to our community. Not only does it help the local economy, but it also puts Milledgeville in the limelight with key state officials in the preservation field ... which helps Main Streets efforts within the community,” Holder said.

For the moment the HPC will continue to convene a monthly meeting, the next one of which is scheduled for July 10, where Alton will share the good news with all attending.

“It is an honor to have our city chosen for such a distinction. This training provides us another opportunity to show preservationists throughout the state the enormous amount of history in Milledgeville and the serious efforts made by the city and the citizens of Milledgeville to preserve its historic assets,” Alton said.