Tall Timbers Awarded 2020 Florida Preservation Award
Tall Timbers is pleased to announce that the John Russell Pope designed house at Dixie received a 2020 Florida Preservation Award for Restoration/Rehabilitation by the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. The awards recognize people, organizations and communities who have worked to protect Florida’s extraordinary history and heritage. Award recipients were selected by a jury from around the state representing a variety of backgrounds and experiences.
“Although we are living in unprecedented times, it was important to us to continue our work recognizing excellence in historic preservation in our state,” said Florida Trust Board President Friederike Mittner. “Thank you to our award winners for all they do for preservation in our state.”
An oak allee leads to the front entrance of the Dixie House.
The 9,100-acre working/conservation property in Jefferson County is located in the heart of the Red Hills region, a distinct American landscape rich in natural and cultural resources. Under the Livingston family, the land became a highly regarded wild quail hunting preserve and one of the finest field trial venues in North America. The centerpiece of this grand estate is the 14,200-square-foot Neo-Classical Revival mansion designed in 1936 by John Russell Pope, one of the nation’s most prominent twentieth century architects. The Livingston residence was his only Florida-constructed design.
IFACS conducted a study of the historic paint colors in the Dixie House. The consultants exposed the original colors using the bullseye mechanical method which involves carefully sanding an exposure through all layers of paint until the plaster or timber substrate is reached. IFACS used a spectrophotometer to read the bullseye samples using the Munsell color standard for recording the results. Tall Timbers used IFACS’ detailed report to select paint for repainting the interior in original colors.
Thanks to the financial support from the State of Florida and significant private donations, Tall Timbers/DPR, Inc. has completed a three-phase restoration and rehabilitation of the historic house.
The expertise of Edwards Olson Architecture and Childers Construction Company ensured a high-quality final result, including exterior and interior finishes, a commercial grade kitchen, central heating and air conditioning, repaired plumbing, and life safety and accessibility upgrades.
In addition, the award recognizes the craftsmanship of International Fine Art Conservation Studios, Inc. (IFACS) in the restoration of the historic paneled rooms. IFACS also conducted a detailed historic paint analysis to determine the original interior colors of the building.
According to the IFACS paint study, the dining room had been coated with a rainbow of paint throughout the history of the Dixie House and has now been restored to its original neutral colors. The more muted tones highlighted the elegant trim, artwork, and furniture the Livingstons placed in the room.
The second and third floor rooms were suffering extensive paint failure due to poor surface preparation and lack of an HVAC system. Once the HVAC system was installed, the interior surfaces were repaired, prepped properly, and repainted in the historic paint colors as determined by IFACS. The natural green tone in this bedroom complements the landscape around the house.
The historic paneling in the living room had been poorly refinished at some point unknown to Tall Timbers, and it was dark and dingy. After detailed surface testing and research, IFACS restored the living room paneling and trim to its original finish.
IFACS conservators thoroughly cleaned and restored detailed wooden trim, including fireplace mantles.
IFACS Chief Conservator Mary Aldrich restores historic wood paneling in the Dixie House living room. Tall Timbers hired IFACS to study and restore the historic finishes of the living room paneling. IFACS also cleaned the historic paneling in the library, gun room, bar, and master bedroom sitting area. Additionally, IFACS developed instructions for future care of the paneling.
The restored venue will soon open to host scientific meetings and community events. According to Kevin McGorty, Land Conservancy Director, “the completion of this restoration project returns this unique country house to its rightful place as one of Florida’s architectural gems.”
Ross Morrell spoke about the materials found at the Jones Tenant Farm dig site.
Staff, volunteers and former tenant family members at Tall Timbers were saddened to learn of the death of Ross Morrell on July 9, 2020. He had a long history of work with Tall Timbers as the State Historic Preservation Officer and later at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It was after his retirement from the state that he became directly involved with Tall Timbers as the project archaeologist for the restoration and interpretation of the Jones Family Tenant Farm.
Ross Morrell and young folks who participated at the Jones Tenant Farm Dig Day in 2012
He didn’t just unearth materials from the site, but he got to know the former tenants in order to better understand just how certain tools and other house whole goods were used during the active days of the farm. The audio portion of the Syrup-Making operation features Ross and Alex Sloan discussing the steps from the harvesting of the sugar cane, until the final syrup was rendered and stored for either home consumption or sale. He made understanding the past through the study of artifacts and oral history interesting to all who worked with him. Long after his project survey reports were complete he returned several times for youth “archaeology days.” Those were always special days when Ross treated these young students with the same respect he had for his graduate students. He made learning about archaeology fascinating for all educational levels.
Volunteers and former tenants plan to hold a celebration of remembrance for Ross by planting a tree near the Jones Tenant Farm, after the property is again open to the public. For information about this event, contact Juanita Whiddon at 850.566.3390.
Ross Morrell and 2012 Dig Day participants at the Jones Family Tenant Farm dig site.
Suncoast Connector Toll Road: What we are Learning
Update — As many eNews readers know, Tall Timbers is deeply concerned about the potential impacts of the Suncoast Connector toll road, a proposed 150-mile toll road corridor extending from Citrus County through Jefferson County in the Red Hills (https://talltimbers.org/suncoast-connector-toll-road-update-2/). In this update, we will share key results from recent studies by subject matter experts who are helping shed light on this risky project.
Before getting to that however, if you have not already done so, please sign up to receive periodic updates and occasional requests to help us respond to this threat to the Red Hills (for example: sending an email to the Florida DOT or to a local county commissioner). Your help is vital as Tall Timbers and our partners cannot do this alone!
Economic Feasibility and Transportation Need — Florida TaxWatch, an independent, non-profit taxpayer research institute focused on improving productivity and accountability of Florida government, recently completed a detailed analysis of the proposed Suncoast Connector toll road (https://floridataxwatch.org/). In the interest of full transparency, Tall Timbers is a member of Florida TaxWatch. Analysts at Florida TaxWatch found that:
The Suncoast Connector toll road could cost between $4.0 billion and $10.5 billion. If toll revenues are not sufficient to meet debt service requirements, tolls paid by drivers on other Turnpike segments would help subsidize the Connector, taking revenue away from needed improvements in heavily traveled Central and South Florida. As important, the new toll road may also require funding from the State Transportation Trust Fund, diverting money from locally needed transportation projects.
There is a lack of demonstrated need for the project. The large portion of U.S. 19 that is located in FDOT District 2 is operating at only 3 percent capacity at peak hour times. Based on FDOT District 2 projections, peak hour operating capacity is only expected to increase from 16.3 percent to 18.8 percent between 2018 to 2045.
Florida has a well-established and fiscally sound transportation planning process. Local and regional projects start with an identified need. These projects go through extensive review and vetting including cost projections and project rankings at several levels in the process. If they are needed and cost feasible, they can be included in the district work programs. The Suncoast Connector project did not go through any of these steps and was approved by the Legislature in only 74 days. The traditional DOT planning process exists for good reason.
FTW also highlighted some of the many examples of toll revenues falling well short of optimistic projections. They conclude their report stating “This TaxWatch analysis finds that the Suncoast Connector is a risky project with what is sure to be a large price tag and little demonstrated transportation need. Complicating the process is that this project is moving forward while COVID-19 has the state facing major reductions in government revenue—including gas taxes and tolls.”
Resiliency of the Suncoast Connector study area — There are other major concerns with the proposed Suncoast Connector as well. University of Florida researchers evaluating the resiliency of the Suncoast Connector planning area for Tall Timbers found that:
Over 50 percent of the study area where the existing U.S. 19/U.S. 27/U.S. 98 corridor is located and where a new toll road might be built is located in the 100-or 500-year floodplain. At least 30 percent is vulnerable to storm surge from a Category 5 hurricane at current sea levels. This risk will only increase over time due to projected sea level rise and stronger storms.
Expansion of roadway infrastructure within the Suncoast Connector study area will significantly increase the amount and cost of development and assets at risk from intensifying coastal hazards. This induced development will result in higher costs for mitigation and recovery from storm events and sea level rise.
UF researchers conclude that “The probability of significant and irreversible change in the study area, coupled with a high degree of vulnerability to existing and future coastal hazards suggests that this region has low suitability for supporting the kind of new toll road and infrastructure corridor proposed in the M-CORES project.” https://talltimbers.org/suncoast-connector/
Conservation and Natural Resource Protection —Tall Timbers is also worried about the impact that construction of the Suncoast Connector toll road would have on public and private conservation lands and the natural resources they protect. The Suncoast Connector study area cuts through the heart of one of the most ecologically sensitive, largely undeveloped areas remaining in Florida. Importantly, Florida taxpayers have already invested over $418 million conserving land and water resources in the toll road planning area through Florida Forever and other land conservation programs. Why would we jeopardize this investment on such a risky, unnecessary gamble?
Recommendations — For these reasons, Tall Timbers strongly opposes the construction of a new toll road corridor or the co-location of new travel lanes within the existing US 19 corridor from Jefferson County through Levy County. In lieu of building a new Suncoast Connector toll road through the Big Bend, Tall Timbers supports:
Transportation improvements in rapidly growing Citrus County —which could include tolled roadways and non-tolled multi-modal projects — to address mobility challenges in that rapidly growing county;
Investment in local mobility projects north of Citrus County that are broadly supported by the local community, businesses, and residents;
Investment in needed infrastructure — such as broadband — in existing rural communities in the corridor; and
Further consideration by DOT of the consensus recommendations contained in the 2016 I-75 Relief Task Force Report for enhancing traffic flow in Central and North Florida.
For additional information — contact Red Hills Planning Coordinator Neil Fleckenstein or Tall Timbers CEO/President Bill Palmer.
John McGuire hired to lead Private Lands Prescribed Fire Initiative
John McGuire prescribed burning
Tall Timbers recently hired John McGuire as director of the Private Lands Prescribed Fire Initiative. He has been tasked to increase the acres of private lands treated with prescribed fire through outreach, research and direct assistance.
John is well-known in the Southeast for his work with prescribed fire. He is a certified burn manager in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi. He is also a certified forester and wildlife biologist, as well as a senior ecologist. John comes to Tall Timbers from the private sector where worked for over a decade in ecosystem markets and restoration business. Prior to that he was the first outreach coordinator for the Longleaf Alliance when it was a fledgling organization.
He recently co-authored a paper with Nancy Lowenstein, Extension Specialist with Auburn University, titled “Cogongrass Fires” that was published in March 2020 for Forestry & Wildlife, a publication of the Alabama Extension System and Auburn University. Read the paper here.
John’s passion hobby is as a historian working with Vietnam Veterans.
Photographer Beate Sass returns to Tall Timbers for a one woman exhibit of her last ten years of work. The exhibit opens at the Webster Art Gallery Saturday, March 7, with a “Meet the Artist” reception from 3:00‒5:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
About 11 years ago, Tall Timbers was privileged to work with Beate Sass, a gifted photographer living in Tallahassee, who was interested in our tenant farm restoration project. Not only did she document the historic structures and artifacts, but she also did portrait studies of former tenant family members who had lived on Tall Timbers Plantation. Beate asked each one to bring an object that they felt connected them with the project, and incorporated the object into the portrait narrative. The photographic portion of the restoration culminated in a memorable exhibit at LeMoyne Arts in 2010.
Shortly after the close of this exhibit, Beate and her family moved to Decatur, Georgia when her husband accepted a position at Georgia State University. Beate quickly integrated into the metro Atlanta professional photography world. Soon she was involved with a project called We Are Decatur. The small city of Decatur, county seat of DeKalb County, was a microcosm of what had happened all over metro Atlanta for the past 50 plus years. Regardless of race, religion, gender or ethnicity, people were living and working respectfully together, and were bringing prosperity to what had been a depressed area of the city. Eight of these powerful images will be part of the Tall Timbers exhibit.
Sharian Rugs is the oldest family business in the City of Decatur. It has prospered since it was founded in 1931 by Bedros and Paul Sharian’s parents, who were Armenian immigrants. Paul and Bedros joined the family business as young men and took over the operation from their parents in the 1950s. Despite being in their nineties, Bedros and Paul continue to come into the office on a daily basis but have passed the management on to their children and grandchildren.
On a more personal level, Beate decided to document her 90 year-old father’s life. Too often, in our society’s emphasis on youth, we forget that our seniors live meaningful lives. Beate used her skill and artistry with the camera to bring her father’s simple daily activities into stunning focus. Ten images will be displayed as part of this collection.
One image of her current work in progress—documenting the now-closed United Methodist Children’s Home in Decatur, Georgia—will be included in this show. This project includes photographs of and stories about the former residents, employees and volunteers of the Children’s Home, which is now owned by the city of Decatur.
Finally, a number of the Tall Timbers images featured in the LeMoyne exhibit will be reintroduced. The staff and volunteers have looked forward to bringing Beate back to Tall Timbers to exhibit her work.
The Webster Art Gallery, in the historic Beadel House at Tall Timbers, is open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00‒4:00 p.m. Questions regarding access and special tour times should be directed to curator, Juanita Whiddon at 850-566-3390. The Beate Sass photography exhibit continues through the end of May.
The M-CORES program, which includes the proposed Suncoast Connector Toll Road in Jefferson County, passed through the Florida Legislature at breakneck speed with little review or analysis. Tall Timbers has a number of concerns given the potential for significant and wide spread impacts. These include fragmenting public and private conservation lands, robbing business from Main Street Monticello, impacting our rivers and other water resources, and making prescribed fire more difficult and costly.
Join us in asking the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners to OPPOSE the Suncoast Connector toll road and its path through Jefferson County.
Take action now with our easy email form.
Send an email to all five Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners with one click!
Selected Publications authored by Wildland Fire Science staff.
Educating and guiding the next generation of fire researchers and managers is a key goal of Wildland Fire Science and a resource for testing new ideas in fire research.
Tall Timbers hosts the Prescribed Fire Science Consortium, a national network of researchers and managers who promote integrated research and management to advance next generation tools for fire practitioners. https://arcg.is/1DSjDT
Working with partners in the Prescribed Fire Science Consortium, the program is building nexgen 3-D fuel beds using terrestrial LiDAR and novel sampling techniques to power new fire behavior models for prescribed fire managers. This work links to Tall Timbers work in wildlife habitat usage and ecological forestry.
Tall Timbers is leading an effort to map fire regimes at the landscape scale. Staff work with numerous agencies to evaluate fire records and satellite imagery to build this critical conservation database. https://skfb.ly/6DqOY
We are linking physics and field observations to understand the fluid dynamics of fire behavior surface fire regimes. Our work combines field observations using advanced thermal imaging techniques, laboratory studies, and coupled fire-atmospheric modeling to help managers improve outcomes of managed fire regimes.
Burn prioritization modeling seminars and fire modeling tools are supported by Wildland Fire Science to train managers in the important planning stages of prescribed fires.
The conserved lands of the Greater Red Hills region are found on working, income-producing properties that support agriculture, forestry, and recreational hunting. These properties contribute $272 million annually to local economies and support 2,300 jobs. [link to Planning & Advocacy section] The landowners’ strong stewardship ethic preserves their working lands while replenishing drinking water supplies, protecting water quality, and providing wildlife habitat for dozens of rare and endangered species. Tall Timbers’ conservation easements on these working properties encourage landowners to retain their traditional livelihood by keeping farms in family ownership.
Home to world-class wild quail populations, the Greater Red Hills region contains the largest concentration of gamebird preserves in the United States. These preserves also support the largest community of Red-cockaded woodpeckers on private lands. Indicators of high quality habitat found here include the gopher tortoise, Bachman’s sparrow, fox squirrel, and many amphibians. Tall Timbers’ conservation easements identify and protect the critical habitats of these species.
The region also boasts outstanding aquatic resources. Large river systems, like the Flint/Apalachicola, Ochlockonee, and Aucilla, flow from Georgia and feed into the Gulf of Mexico to support some of the world’s most productive estuaries. Large disappearing sinkhole lakes, like Iamonia, Miccosukee, and Jackson, provide habitat for an array of aquatic species and migratory birds. Tall Timbers’ conservation easements protect these vital watersheds and wetlands that are the lifeblood for the ecological health of the region.
Once dominated by longleaf pine, our pine woodlands support abundant wildlife and local economies. These forests need prescribed fire to stay healthy. Herbert L. Stoddard and his associates Ed and Roy Komarek were pioneers in this emerging scientific field during the mid-20th century. Tall Timbers continues that legacy with applied research on prescribed fire and land management. Today, there is a tremendous need to expand prescribed fire use beyond the Red Hills to ensure ecosystem health and reduce wildfire risk. Additionally, Tall Timbers uses conservation easements to permanently protect private woodlands while balancing the need for economic return from selective timbering.
Tall Timbers hosts the premier fire technology transfer organization—the Southern Fire Exchange. This JFSP funded effort helps connect research to management through webinars, workshops, and support of the Prescribed Fire Science Consortium.
The Longleaf Legacy landscape prescribed fire burn team arm of Wildland Fire Science works directly with landowners and partners to effectively put fire on the ground and promote prescribed fire throughout the region.
Staff and researchers support Federal fire training by serving as a cadre for NWCG training courses, ranging from basic wildland fire to advanced fire effects.
(PFTC) specializes in training fire fighters the principles and techniques of prescribed fire through practical hands-on experience. https://www.fws.gov/fire/pftc/
Private land owners are the largest source of prescribed fire in the country. These land owners and the culture of fire that was maintained by them during decades of suppression are a part of why Tall Timbers is a world-wide center for prescribed fire science. Workshops and fire training are a critical focus of the Longleaf Legacy Landscape Burn Team and our support of the Georgia Forestry Commission Prescribed Fire Center in Marion County.
