The recently renovated eastern side of the Clarkesville square graces the cover of the December 2017 issue of UGA’s Georgia Magazine. (Peter Frey/UGA)
When fire broke out on the Clarkesville square late in the evening of March 5, 2014, no one knew what the future would hold. Businesses were displaced, buildings destroyed and the city’s charm dulled by the charred remains that were left standing.
It took a few days for the smoldering embers to die out and for the community to catch its breath. Once they did, elected officials, business owners, and residents rallied to the motto “Clarkesville Strong.” With dogged determination and help from the Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership they oversaw extensive clean-up, design and rebuilding campaigns that not only burnished the town’s charm, they made it brighter.
Today, downtown Clarkesville boasts a number of new storefronts, new businesses, new sidewalks and landscaping, and a renewed hope for the future. The partnerships that were forged and the lessons that were learned are now being used as a blueprint for other downtown revitalization efforts across Georgia.
The story of Clarkesville’s rise from the ashes is featured this month in the University of Georgia’s Georgia Magazine. The magazine cover features the renovated side of the square and includes photos of townspeople and leaders who took part in Clarkesville’s rebirth. Read about it now, here on Now Habersham.
