Walker County, GA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

Under Article III of Chapter 22, the Walker County Historic Preservation Commission researches and recommends historic districts and historic properties to the County Board of Commissioners for designation by ordinance. A property qualifies as a historic property if it is an outstanding example of its era, one of the few remaining examples of a past architectural style, associated with an event or person of historic or cultural significance to the county, state or region, or a site of natural or aesthetic interest that continues to contribute to the county's cultural or historical development.

Before recommending designation, the Commission must prepare a designation report with a physical description, a statement of significance, a boundary and classification map and photographs, hold a public hearing noticed in the local paper for 3 consecutive issues 10 to 20 days out, and send the report to the state Historic Preservation Division at least 30 days ahead of any recommendation. Once the County Board of Commissioners adopts the designation, no material change to the property's exterior appearance, including demolition, relocation or new construction, may proceed without a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Commission, and a building permit cannot be issued without one.

The Commission must act within 45 days or the certificate is deemed approved. A property owner who disagrees with a denial can appeal to the County Board of Commissioners within 15 days, then to Walker County Superior Court. Owners who let a designated property deteriorate get 30 days to fix the problem before the county can perform the repair itself and bill the owner.