‘A terrible loss’: Alumni work to save historic building at Buckhead school

ATLANTA — Former students of an Atlanta school are rallying to save a historic building on campus from demolition.

The Galloway School in Buckhead recently announced plans to tear down the Gresham Building and replace it with a modern classroom building.

Built in 1911, the building served for decades as an almshouse or homeless shelter. It became The Galloway School in 1969 and houses the high school classes.

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With a brick façade and classical columns, it’s a stately building. In 2014, the school had the building designated as a National Register of Historic Places landmark, an honorary status that does not protect it from demolition.

“For me personally, I kind of grew up there and spent a lot of time in the walls,” David Finehirsh, a 1983 graduate of The Galloway School told Channel 2′s Bryan Mims. “I know the place very intimately, so it’s a special place for anybody who’s attended the school.”

He’s signed an online petition that has garnered more than 500 signatures.

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“It’s just kind of mind-boggling to me that the school would even consider that as an option,” Bruce Johnson, who graduated in 1976, said to Channel 2 Action News.

A school administrator, who did not want to be identified, spoke briefly to Mims and said the Gresham Building is in need of repairs.

“We’re exploring opportunities to provide the best and safest learning environment for our students and faculty,” the administrator said, adding that school leaders would have more to say about their plans in January.

“I think it would be a terrible, terrible loss,” Johnson said. “I mean, so much of Atlanta’s history has been destroyed already. This isn’t in isolation. We’ve lost so much of our history in this city.”

Demolition opponents say school officials should work with the community to find a solution that would save the building.

“I don’t think it’s a fight – Galloway is family to me,” Finehirsh said. “I respect the people making decisions, but we want to be more involved in that.”

“It’s such a magnificent structure,” Johnson said. “I think it would just be a terrible loss to the general overall community.”

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