Watson-Brown Junior Board

Photo: Watson-Brown Foundation Junior Board Conference, November 2010

The Watson-Brown Foundation supports historic preservation in part through its Junior Board of Trustees, a talented group of local high school students whose exclusive mission is to preserve local history. Part historic preservation, part youth philanthropy, this educational initiative fosters civic responsibility, heightens an appreciation for local history, and introduces students to disciplined and thoughtful giving.

There are three chapters of the Junior Board: Athens, Milledgeville and Thomson. Each operates from a historic house museum (T.R.R. Cobb House, Old Governor’s Mansion, Hickory Hill) and each focuses its giving on a specific geographic region. Current annual grant awards for each chapter total $33,000.

During the school year, these young trustees issue RFPs, research grant applications, conduct pre-grant inquiries and make site visits. Their historic preservation awards are made in June.