Heart and Soul
With its natural beauty and convenient location, the City of Toccoa was once known as the “most progressive city in Northeast Georgia” and thanks to forward thinking citizens and officals, Toccoa’s once again setting the standard for downtown renovation. Recently selected as one of the top 10 Main Streets in the nation, Toccoa continues to see increasing interest from business and property owners and tourists alike.

Perhaps one of the biggest attractions for people visiting Toccoa is the Currahee Military Museum. Located in the historic train depot the museum features a massive exhibit of 506 Easy Company. This World War II paratrooper division was recently popularized by Stephen Ambrose’s book “Band of Brothers,” the HBO Miniseries “Band of Brothers,” and the blockbuster movie “Saving Private Ryan.” The depot housing this museum was recently restored to its pre-1940′s appearance in 2006 and is now home to the Chamber of Commerce, local Welcome Center, Stephens County Historical Society Museum, and Amtrak.

After visiting the depot, many people find themselves attracted to the restored Historic Courthouse in the downtown square. Built in 1907, the courthouse was the first structure in Stephens County wired for electricity. In 2005, the Stephens County Historic Restoration Commission was formed by the County Commission and work began a year later. Today, the historic courthouse is a great visual anchor to the newly renovated downtown district.

Downtown Toccoa was once covered by crumbling concrete canopies erected in the early 1970′s. In 2005 Toccoa Main Street received the political and financial support to implement the removal of the canopy mall. To gather the necessary funds, Toccoa partnered with six state agencies (APC, CDBG, One Georgia, USDA, DCA, and DOT) that provided $1.8 million, with local funding of $552,000, for the project.During the canopy removal and street re-opening project, private interest in downtown increased. In 2008, thirty-three storefronts were renovated (under the guidance of the GA Mountains RDC Historic Preservation Planner), 11 new business located in downtown, 17 new jobs were created, and 28 part-time jobs were created. Private investment in downtown Toccoa during this time was $3.5 million.

Doyle Street (Toccoa’s Main Street) has now been open to vehicular traffic since May 3, 2008, and the change in downtown is stunning. Using funds from private investment, facade grants, and low-interest construction loans, work progressed at an amazing rate. Working with the City of Toccoa and downtown business owners, the Historic

Preservation Planner formulated preservatin design plans for each building in order to maintain a high degree of quality while effectively managing construction costs. Building owners whose properties had suffered extensive damage were given the choice of rehabilitating their buildings to convey the style of the building at the time of construction of the concrete canopies or the style in which the orignial architect had intended. Thus, some buildings have retained their mid-century charm while others have been reverted to their earyl twentieth century appeal. In less than a year there has been $1.69 million retained private investment and 68 full-time equivalent jobs retained in downtown Toccoa. Property values are increasing, and more people are showing interest in restoring neglected buildings in the historic district. New jobs are being created, and tourists and locals alike are visiting downtown Toccoa.

Thanks to these efforts, main Street Toccoa is once again recognized as a progressive city. A dramatic change has occurred in a relatively short time in Toccoa’s now “local historic district.”