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WHAT'S UP IN NEW DEVELOPMENT
The historic R.E.M. Steeple on Oconee Street, which was formerly attached to St.
Mary's Episcopal Church.
Oconee Street were the hub of the city, with
large mills and affiliated buildings dominating
the landscape. In 1968 the building was sold
and turned into apartments, setting the stage
for history to be made a decade later—30
years ago this week—at what could have
been just another party.
In 1990 the building was knocked down,
leaving only the steeple as a marketing tool
for the Steeplechase condominiums that
replaced it Interestingly, although the chapel
is gone, the legacy of St. Mary's has lived on
as the name of the UGA Episcopal Center's
sanctuary. That's not the only piece of the
church's history that continues on campus;
one legend has it that the original home of
the bell hanging behind the UGA Chapel on
North Campus was in the red steeple. •
A Tall Order: The future of this landmark might
be tied in its next-door neighbors: Nugi's
Space. The nonprofit musicians' resource cen
ter is literally only a few feet from the steeple
and would be open to taking on the role of
caretaker for this piece of local music heri
tage. The tall red steeple stands right above
Nugi's Space's low blue building, as seen when
approaching from across the river. This view
has already been incorporated into some of
Nutf's Space's logos, emphasizing the affinity
the music-centric nonprofit feels for its his
toric neighbor.
According to Bob Sleppy, Executive Director
of Nugi's Space, there have been discussions
about taking over the steeple from the
The Possibilities: The
idea I've heard most
often is that R.E.M.
should fix it up—
because if there's any
thing those guys want
to do, it's pay money
to turn the ruins of
their old apartment
from 30 years ago into
a monument to them
selves. R.E.M. has
done great things for
the local historic pres
ervation movement,
but personally, I think
this is one we should
do ourselves.
In order to avoid a
regrettable fete for this
fantastic structure, we'll need a unique solu
tion. I'd like to consider a few possibilities
for what that could be, outside the realm of
the steeple's ownership and structure issues.
The steeple's unusual conditions would likely
limit most conventional ideas for renovation.
The square footage of the structure might
make it difficult for a large business to occupy
the space, but what a smaller one? O.K.
Coffee inhabits an interesting little nook on
College Avenue; if the steeple were on a more
visible and trafficked piece of land, it would
make a great little lunch counter, complete
with a Big City Bread-esque patio for seating
outside. Or what if it became another condo
in Steeplechase? The steeple might be just big
enough to be renovated into a little apart
ment, with a living room on the bottom level,
and a spiral staircase up to a bedroom in the
belfry.
The two-story brick building next door is
another great piece of local architecture that's
in need of help but definitely worth preserv
ing. It and the steeple together might make
one viable project, with a new building con
necting the two historic pieces into one viable
structure—perhaps a music history museum,
complementing Nugi's Space next door and
serving as a tourism draw.
Whatever happens to the R.E.M. Steeple, it
should be something which gives the building
a living purpose, rather than turning it into an
empty obelisk. ' : f r
K8van Williams alhensrising@flagpole.com
condo association which now manages it. As
discussed a few years ago, Steeplechase would
have given Nugi's the steeple building, with
out the land underneath it. That would have
limited the nonprofit's abilities to utilize an
already fairly difficult structure, and so the
discussion didn't go too far.
Around that time, it would have cost
about $20,000 to stabilize the steeple, and
$100,000 to renovate it properly, according
to Sleppy. That cost is certainly higher now,
and while Nugi's could take on the mainte
nance of the structure, the renovation costs
would be just too expensive for the nonprofit.
The steeple wasn't meant to be freestand
ing, and some sort of stabilization will be
necessary. The limited
square footage of the
tall but narrow tower
also makes it hard to
justify such a cost, as
the steeple could likely
only house one office.
Thyme After Thyme
550 Athen* Road • Winterville • 742-7149
Mon-Sat 9-6 • Son 1-5
www.thymcaftgrthyme.com
The “Murmur* Trestle and "R.E.M." Steeple
are two local landmarks with worldwide noto
riety, thanks primarily to their affiliation with
one band in the early 1980s. That's not to say
that they aren't valuable for other reasons,
each a remnant of Athens' industrial heyday
in the late 1800s. While the trestle will likely
be incorporated into a rail-to-trail project
and preserved for the benefit of everyone, the
steeple's fate is far from certain.
The Story So Far: Although it is mainly known
these days as the R.E.M. Steeple, that big red
tower on Oconee Street was originally part of
St. Mary's Episcopal Church, built in 1869.
In Athens' early days, the lower reaches of
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