This honor was mine: Medal of Honor recipient James Taylor showed me how LBJ presented the award in recognition of his heroic rescues in Vietnam

Medal of Honor recipient Jim Taylor demonstrates placement of medal (Special to the Picket)

When a Medal of Honor recipient insists (or asks, for that matter) you sit at his table, you don’t say no.

I found myself in this unexpected situation Tuesday afternoon while onboard a train carrying 13 Medal of Honor recipients during an immersive reenactment of the Civil War’s “Great Locomotive Chase” in North Georgia in April 1862. Members of the Andrews Raid were the first to receive the Medal of Honor.

I was darting between cars and taking pictures for the Picket’s Facebook page when I encountered James “Jim” Taylor, who was wearing a bright blue shirt with the words Medal of Honor beneath a burst of stars.

What happened next deeply touched me, and left an indelible memory.

Taylor, 87, was holding his medal, held in place by a blue ribbon, in front of him, and I assumed he was just adjusting it before returning it around his neck.

Instead, the Vietnam War hero beckoned to me. After I sat in a chair, he proceeded to reenact how President Lyndon B. Johnson placed the medal at the White House on Nov. 19, 1968.

Don’t worry: He did not place the medal around my neck.

Taylor asked me to open my outstretched hands to mimic a neck. He then moved the ribbon around the hands before placing the medal in the cup of my fingers, showing the bright medal to onlookers.

The demonstration took about a minute. I don’t know if the Army veteran has done this before with other people. I have no idea why he picked me. Someone did film the moment. (Picket photo in Kennesaw)

But I felt I was part of something special. I texted my family one of the photos in this post.

I will admit to not ever hearing of Taylor, who was a first lieutenant at the time he merited the nation’s highest military award for valor.

The Californian was in action on Nov. 9, 1967, west of Que Son. Any description I could provide would not be adequate, so it is best to provide the citation.

Capt. Taylor, Armor, was serving as executive officer of Troop B, 1st Squadron. His troop was engaged in an attack on a fortified position west of Que Son when it came under intense enemy recoilless-rifle, mortar, and automatic-weapons fire from an enemy strong point located immediately to its front. One armored cavalry assault vehicle was hit immediately by recoilless-rifle fire and all five crewmembers were wounded. Aware that the stricken vehicle was in grave danger of exploding, Capt. Taylor rushed forward and personally extracted the wounded to safety despite the hail of enemy fire and exploding ammunition. Within minutes a second armored cavalry assault vehicle was hit by multiple recoilless-rifle rounds. Despite the continuing intense enemy fire, Capt. Taylor moved forward on foot to rescue the wounded men from the burning vehicle and personally removed all the crewmen to the safety of a nearby dike. Moments later the vehicle exploded.

As he was returning to his vehicle, a bursting mortar round painfully wounded Capt. Taylor yet he valiantly returned to his vehicle to relocate the medical evacuation zone to an area closer to the front lines. As he was moving his vehicle, it came under machine- gun fire from an enemy position not 50 yards away. Capt. Taylor engaged the position with his machine gun, killing the three-man crew. Upon arrival at the new evacuation site, still another vehicle was struck. Once again Capt. Taylor rushed forward and pulled the wounded from the vehicle, loaded them aboard his vehicle, and returned them safely to the evacuation site. His actions of unsurpassed valor were a source of inspiration to his entire troop, contributed significantly to the success of the overall assault on the enemy position, and were directly responsible for saving the lives of a number of his fellow soldiers. His actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military profession and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

I did a bit of research on Taylor this morning after returning home last night.

Sammy Davis, third from left, and  Jim Taylor to his left (White House photo)

The official photo of Taylor with LBJ shows him in a line, next to Sgt. Sammy L. Davis. Fittingly, Davis was among those on the CSX journey Tuesday from Kennesaw, Ga., to Ringgold, where he gave remarks to a large crowd in the town’s depot.

The veterans are taking part in the 2025 Medal of Honor Celebration in Chattanooga, Tenn. The principal sponsors are the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center. (There are currently 61 living Medal of Honor recipients.)

Taylor, in a video recorded years ago, said he did not want to be considered above millions of other veterans.

The day’s events – in Atlanta, Kennesaw and Ringgold – and, of course, the train ride, were an amazing experience. As a military brat in Germany, we lived near an Air Force Vietnam War recipient. To meet or talk with 13 was a real privilege.

Jim Taylor (right) and other medal recipients Tuesday at the Atlanta History Center (Picket photo)

PHOTOS: 13 Medal of Honor recipients retrace the 'Great Locomotive Chase'

(Civil War Picket photos)

Jim McCloughan, Kyle Carpenter and Britt Slabinski (from left) were among 13 Medal of Honor recipients who rode a CSX executive train Tuesday afternoon that reenacted the Civil War’s “Great Locomotive Chase” in 1862. The daylong event in Atlanta, Kennesaw and other points in North Georgia was part of the 2025 Medal of Honor Celebration in Chattanooga, Tenn. Union soldiers in the Andrews Raid were the first to receive the Medal of Honor. See the Picket’s updates and photos at our Facebook page.

Medal of Honor recipients will take a special train ride in Georgia reenacting the 'Great Locomotive Chase.' They will take the same route used by Yankee saboteurs who were the first to receive the nation's top award for valor

Type of locomotive being used Tuesday (CSX); click to enlarge map showing route of the Andrews Raid in North Georgia; Ohio Pvt. Jacob Parrott received the first Medal of Honor; this is his second issue medal (Picket photo)

On Tuesday afternoon, about 15 Medal of Honor recipients will climb aboard a train in Kennesaw, Ga., to travel back in time while retracing the daring escapade of warriors first awarded the nation’s highest military award for valor.

The journey’s nexus to the Civil War episode will be somewhat remarkable, albeit no actual danger will be involved this time around.

The Medal of Honor recipients – who are meeting Sept. 29-Oct. 4 in Chattanooga, Tenn., for their annual convention – will be riding along the original route of the ambitious Andrews Raid, better known as the "Great Locomotive Chase."

The April 1862 romp began in Big Shanty (now Kennesaw) and ended near Ringgold, Ga., below Chattanooga when the Union men – most soldiers dressed in civilian clothes – jumped off the General, the train they commandeered, when it ran out of steam. Their brave mission was a strategic failure.

The Medal of Honor recipients will see both surviving engines Tuesday and start their two-and-a-half hour train journey near where the Union sabotage mission began.

The public is invited to wave at the CSX train and the honorees during the reenactment ride from Kennesaw to Ringgold. It starts around 1 p.m. ET and ends at 3:30 p.m.

As organizers note, the Great Locomotive Chase is more than a Civil War story. (At right the General inside the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, Picket photo)

“It’s a defining moment in American military history and established Chattanooga as the birthplace of the Medal of Honor. The audacious raid, spanning roughly 87 miles over seven hours, evoked an epic chase," they said in a news release.

The very first recipients (in March 1863) of the Medal of Honor were men who took part in the Andrews Raid. Ultimately, 21 of 24 raiders received the award, while two were not eligible because they were civilians.

Eight Yankee raiders – including leader James Andrews – were tried as spies and executed in Atlanta. They are interred at Chattanooga National Cemetery. Last year, two hanged Ohio participants in the raid -- Pvt. George Wilson and Pvt. Philip G. Shadrach -- were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor after a long campaign by descendants and a Georgia researcher to have them receive the honor.

Tuesday’s immersive reenactment is being principally sponsored by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga and CSX.

The Civil War Picket is planning to attend the events and post updates via Facebook.

Startled Southern conductor sprang into action

Andrews and his men traveled in groups to Marietta, below Kennesaw, where most spent the night at a hotel before the raid.

Their aim was to take a locomotive to Chattanooga while destroying sections of track and Rebel communications. The audacious raiders hoped to deliver a blow to the Southern war effort and morale.

The Texas can be seen from the front of the Atlanta History Center (Picket photo)

On that spring day in 1862, Western & Atlantic Railroad conductor William A. Fuller was shocked to see a group of men steal the General while passengers and crew were enjoying breakfast at the Lacy Hotel in Big Shanty.

Fuller and a couple of others ran north after his train. He didn’t yet know it had been taken by the Union commandos. The conductor ran across a handcar, jumped on three trains and traveled 86 miles -- along with Confederate horsemen who had been reached by telegraph -- after the raiders.

The Andrews Raid did not do much damage to the rail line, but it gained fame in the North, where the men were treated as heroes who struck a blow, however small, deep in enemy territory.

Officials at the Atlanta History Center, which showcases the Texas, have long stressed the engine tells a much larger story of the postwar growth of the city. For its restoration several years ago, they decided to paint the Texas in an 1886 scheme, rather than the bright colors it wore at its former home in the city’s Grant Park -- in part because its surviving parts date closer to that year than the Civil War.

Like the General, the object of the chase, the Texas was saved (in 1907) from the scrap heap.

Here's how the day's events will play out

The Medal of Honor recipients’ formal introduction to the chase will begin Tuesday morning with breakfast at the Atlanta History Center.

From there, participants will take a bus to Kennesaw, about 20 miles northwest. They will attend a lunch program at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, which is home to the General. The museum will be closed to the public Tuesday.

A rather fanciful depiction of the raid and a burning bridge (Wikipedia)

Around 1 p.m., the recipients, guests and others will board one or two modern executive rail cars positioned near where the Lacy Hotel once stood. CSX operates what once was the Western & Atlantic route.

A vintage engine cannot be used because the route was long ago modernized for faster and heavier commercial traffic.

The train will make no stops at it passes historic depots in Acworth, Adairsville, Resaca and Dalton. The retinue will arrive in Ringgold at 3:30 p.m.

Raid's legacy bigger than its accomplishments

During the trip, costumed living historians will tell the Medal of Honor recipients about those involved in the raid. Organizers note there will be no pursuing train, though the reenactors will discuss Fuller’s dogged pursuit, according to Task & Purpose website.

Charlie Crawford, president emeritus of the Georgia Battlefields Association, told the Picket last year the Andrews Raid made no difference in the war’s outcome. Still, he said, the raid “made Southerners behind the lines aware that they could be vulnerable.”

Richard Banz, executive director of the Southern Museum, said those on both sides of the Great Locomotive Chase should be considered heroes.

“These were men who were willing to sacrifice everything for their perspective countries to succeed. Amazingly, they seemed to hold each other in high esteem despite being enemies during this terrible war.”

Gordon Jones, senior military historian and curator at the Atlanta History Center, said the Andrews Raid, through books and a 1956 Disney movie, brought the Civil War to young people.

And, he added in 2024, the caper did result in something sacred that has been special to Americans for generations.

“It’s the origin story of the highest award for military valor the United States government can bestow. It’s about personal sacrifice to save others. That’s timeless.”

There are only 61 living Medal of Honor recipients.

From boarded up to reborn: This 1852 Western & Atlantic depot had a role in 'Great Locomotive Chase;' now it's reopened as a philanthropy center in NW Georgia

A nook overlooking rail line, the large boardroom and depot exterior work this week (Photos courtesy CFNW)

The old Western & Atlantic train depot has reopened in Dalton, Georgia, as a community gathering space where philanthropy aimed at solving 21^st century challenges can gain steam in a 170-year-old building integral to the town’s identity.

The Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia earlier this month moved a mile to a building that features 25-foot ceilings, charming brick and Civil War-era architectural features. But make no mistake, this will a very up-to-date environment -- from modern furniture to TV monitors that will prompt collaboration in today’s world.

“It’s been wonderful. It is beautiful office space,” foundation president David Aft told the Picket in a phone call this week. “It is a really neat place to work, and I have heard my whole life space has a huge impact on people’s creativity and the ease to get things done.”

A kitchen will provide refreshments for meetings (Community Foundation of NW Georgia)

The oldest commercial structure in the northwest Georgia city best known for its carpet industry is studied by Civil War enthusiasts for its brief part in the “Great Locomotive Chase.” Federal raiders commandeered a locomotive above Atlanta and raced north, bent on destroying sections of the railroad. Confederates pursued them through several cities, including Dalton

Locals tend to think more about the Dalton Depot, a longtime restaurant and club which operated in the long brick building until about 10 years ago. Trains still roll by regularly.

Aft said visitors and those attending foundation meetings in the depot appreciate its homage to the station’s history (it last had passenger service in about 1971) and its compelling design and architecture.

The foundation’s five employees are working in an office nearly twice as big as its longtime more traditional offices across town. They will facilitate meetings in a glass-lined board room and smaller “collaboration zones.”

A large freight scale (above) and telegraph window greet visitors in the open center of the depot. The foundation resides in the south end of the structure.

The depot fell into hard times after the restaurant closed. The city contracted with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation to market the vacant and deteriorated building. Officials wanted $500,000, but eventually sold it to local Barrett Properties in 2018 for $300,000. 

The community foundation, which is leasing its space, occupies the former nightclub area. Barrett Properties is still marketing the other side, which still has remnants of dining booths.

Officials think a new restaurant might be a good fit.

Working with charitable givers, the nonprofit provides grants and funding for organizations in the area. Some of the endeavors involve mental health programs, historic preservation, neighborhood revitalization and other civic projects.

For now, the foundation is settling in as improvements to the brick exterior continue. Wood trim is being replaced and an old awning is coming down. (Above, the point of origin for surveys in Dalton)

He had to get a message through -- quickly

The Western and Atlantic Railroad line from Atlanta to Chattanooga, Tenn., was completed in the early 1850s and the Dalton depot opened in 1852 to provide passenger and freight service.

The depot was the hub for commercial growth in the Dalton area and the point of origin for surveys and maps. The 12,100-square-foot brick building is “a pretty high-style example of Georgia depot architecture” and has Greek Revival features, with stone lintels, brick pilasters and door entablatures.

Union raiders on the General set fire to a river crossing in North Georgia (Wikipedia)

The building had its moment of fame on April 12, 1862, when Northern raiders (the South labeled them spies) commandeered the locomotive General in Big Shanty. They chugged toward Chattanooga, intent on destroying parts of the railroad.

The pursuing locomotive Texas picked up a 17-year-old telegraph operator who rushed to the Dalton depot and wired Confederate troops to the north.

Although not all his message got through, Edward Henderson’s alarm sent troops toward the track. The Andrews Raiders were captured near Ringgold when the General ran out of steam. They had accomplished little. Many were hanged while others escaped. Several were the first to receive the Medal of Honor.

The depot remained in use as a rail stop for more than a century.

The setting: A comfortable place to convene, create

For Aft (left), the project mixes nostalgia, history and preservation. Not everyone is interested in each of those aspects, he acknowledged. But they are interested in community needs that include mental health programs, food banks, education and other civic projects.

The area’s Latino population has grown considerably while Whitfield County’s overall population growth has remained stagnant. Housing affordability and supply are big issues.

The foundation contends it setting needs to be comfortable, with a good flow that brings people together into the central room and then into corners featuring some privacy. Large TV monitors are being built into the space, and PowerPoints and other technology will provide visual representations of projects.

The hope is for outside groups to eventually utilize the convening spaces about four times a month. The foundation, naturally, will hold meetings in the depot the rest of the time. “We understand it will take maybe 12 months to fully activate the space and to get the staff understanding how others want to use the space,” said Aft.

The nonprofit’s leader said he has already talked with groups who might choose to hold meetings at the depot.

The 173-year-old building “has its own peculiarities to it,” said Aft, who quipped no ghosts have thus far made their presence known.

What is evident is the appreciation community members for the time and care into making a charming gathering place.

Aft summarizes their thoughts: “You made something important to me – you took care of it.”

Common area (left) and work spaces at Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia

Two hanged Andrews Raiders are among 19 inducted into Ohio Military Hall of Fame. 'I wish more people knew about the history,' a descendant says

Recipients and relatives or descendants of honorees, the Military Hall of Fame medal and the reverse for Pvt. George D. Wilson (All photos Ryan Griffin, Ohio Department of Veterans Services)

Theresa Chandler believes it is appropriate her ancestor, Pvt. George D. Wilson, was honored Friday in the Ohio Statehouse, where tens of thousands filed past the coffin of President Abraham Lincoln 160 years before.

After all, Lincoln’s administration was the first to bestow the Medal of Honor, and that was to participants of the Andrews Raid. Wilson was one of eight men executed as spies following a dramatic locomotive chase in North Georgia.

Theresa Chandler talks with Brig. Gen. Matthew Woodruff of the Ohio National Guard 

For descendants of the families of Wilson and Pvt. Perry (Philip) Shadrach, who also was hanged, the ceremony in Columbus was a full circle moment – the men belatedly received the Medal of Honor last summer and were now being recognized for valor and induction into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame.

“I think it was important being honored in Ohio as part of the Civil War and I wish people knew more about the history of how we got to where we are today,” Chandler, 86, told the Picket on Tuesday.

Chandler, great-great granddaughter of Wilson, has said she got chills when she learned the soldier called for the return of one flag over the country before his execution. “We were not aware of any of the background when we were growing up.”

The sabotage mission along the Western & Atlantic Railroad from Atlanta to Chattanooga in 1862 was a tactical failure, but was a boost to the war-weary North. .

James Andrews and his band of Union raiders, dressed in civilian clothes, tried to destroy much of the railroad and communications as they rushed northward on April 12, 1862. But little damage was done and the group was forced to flee when the commandeered locomotive General ran out of fuel.

They were captured and most later escaped or were exchanged. Andrews and seven others -- including Shadrach and Wilson -- were treated as spies and executed. The episode became known as the "Great Locomotive Chase" because Southerners in the locomotive Texas pursued the General.

Shadrach and Wilson, members of the 2^nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, are buried at the national cemetery in Chattanooga, Tenn., where new Medal of Honor headstones were unveiled in October following events for descendants.

While other members of the raid received the Medal of Honor, paperwork did not go through for the pair, supporters of the recognition claimed.

The Ohio Department of Veterans Services said 19 Ohioans were inducted in the statehouse atrium. “Of the 19 honorees, 12 are posthumous awards. Six were killed in combat. For their actions, members of this class have received multiple awards for valor including three the Medal of Honor recipients.” Most of the honorees saw combat during and since World War II.

Accepting the Shadrach medal was Ron Shadrach (below with Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr.), a great cousin

He nominated his ancestor and Wilson for the state honor and was a leader in the long campaign for them to receive the Medal of Honor, which was bestowed last summer by then-President Joe Biden.

Chandler’s sisters Charlene Murphy and Joyce Dersom and other family members were on hand Friday.

Chandler said Friday was the first time she saw a ground-floor plaque honoring the Andrews Raiders.

A 2012 ceremony marking the 150th anniversary of the raid was held in the Statehouse.

“There are a lot of people who have heard about the Andrews Raiders but don’t know about the history of it," Chandler said.

Ron Shadrach (left) and others look at the Andrews Raid plaque on Friday in Columbus, Ohio.

Descendants of Andrews Raiders who were belatedly awarded the Medal of Honor will be on hand Friday for their induction into Ohio Military Hall of Fame

Pvts. Perry Shadrach and George Wilson of the 2nd Ohio Infantry (U.S. Army)

Two members of the Civil War’s Andrews Raid who posthumously received the Medal of Honor last summer will be inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame on Friday.

Eight raiders were hanged in Atlanta as spies after the daring Great Locomotive Chase, among them Pvt. George D. Wilson and Pvt. Perry (Philip) Shadrach of the 2^nd Ohio Infantry. Then-President Joe Biden presented the Medals of Honor to their descendants. The soldiers were recognized for gallantry and intrepidity.

Ron Shadrach, the great cousin of Shadrach, nominated the pair in January for the state honor.

“This event brings these two men full circle and finally back home to Ohio to be honored,” he said.

Shadrach and Brad Quinlin, a Georgia-based researcher and historian, and others long campaigned for the two soldiers to receive the Medal of Honor, like most of the military personnel who took part in the failed raid in North Georgia.

The sabotage mission along the Western & Atlantic Railroad from Atlanta to Chattanooga in 1862 was a tactical failure, but was a boost to the war-weary North and brought the first Medal of Honors.

Wilson and Perry Shadrach are buried at the national cemetery in Chattanooga, Tenn., where new Medal of Honor headstones were unveiled in October following events for descendants, including a bus tour of the chase route. (Picket photos, right)

Ron Shadrach said several descendants are planning to travel to the Ohio Statehouse atrium in Columbus for the 11:30 a.m. Friday induction, which will include 17 other service members who served in later conflicts and are being recognized for valor.

Quinlin will be on hand, too, “enjoying the last part of our journey.”

Ron Shadrach told the Picket he saw a bronze plaque at the Statehouse about the raid when he was a boy. His great aunt told him they weren't related to the Civil War hero.

“The name and plaque was etched in my young mind. In about 2003, I discovered the history behind the plaque and began a campaign or quest to have both men duly recognized with the MOH.”

Organizers say the induction will be streamed here.

NW Georgia depot known for 'Great Locomotive Chase' will reopen by summer as a place where philanthropy gets on track. We got an inside look at the renovation

Work is in full swing at the Western & Atlantic Depot (Picket photos), a stop in the Great Locomotive Chase

The past few months have seen me move a bit from my customary “armchair blogger” status to getting out on the road (yes!) – reporting about sites rich with history but also dreamers who are turning old spaces into something useful.

Such was the case this past Friday, when I drove to Dalton, the carpet city in Northwest Georgia. I got an inside peek at the Western & Atlantic Railroad Depot, which is being repurposed as a charming community gathering place.

The site is best known to Civil War enthusiasts for its brief part in the “Great Locomotive Chase.” Locals tend to think about the Dalton Depot, a longtime restaurant and club which operated in the long brick building until about 10 years ago.

David Aft, right, showed me around the work inside depot (Picket photos)

“Everybody has a depot story,” said David Aft, president of the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia, which will occupy half the historic site. The civic engagement facilitator, clad in a blue sports coat and jeans, occasionally stopped to talk with workers about construction details as he showed me around.

After a brief brush against one wall, I was careful to stay away from fresh paint as we moved toward a central room that will be the hub for foundation. The gathering space will feature 30-foot sliding glass doors on either side, opening to several smaller nooks in which people can continue their conversations after the leave the large room.

Aft told me he hopes his five employees of the philanthropic organization will be able to move in by the end of May. There’s still plenty to be done, and work on the exterior of the 1852 depot will begin soon, he said. Much of the wood around the brick needs to be repaired or replaced.

Why the move across town?

That’s an easy one: There will be modern furniture, more bathrooms, space to move around and idea-creation “in the center of all things Dalton.”

The depot, he previously told me, was the hub for commercial growth and the point of origin for surveys and maps in the 19^th century.

Now, its rustic exterior and historic features inside will help usher big and small ideas for the region.

A pivotal telegraph message during Andrews Raid

The Western & Atlantic Railroad line from Atlanta to Chattanooga was completed in the early 1850s; the Dalton depot opened in 1852 to provide passenger and freight service.

The large central room will be in the area with the large gray bucket (Picket photo)

The building had its moment of fame on April 12, 1862, when Northern raiders who had commandeered the locomotive General in Big Shanty, above Atlanta, were chugging toward Chattanooga, intent on destroying parts of the railroad. They were under the command of James Andrews.

The pursuing locomotive Texas picked up a 17-year-old telegraph operator who rushed to the Dalton depot and wired Confederate troops ahead in Chattanooga.

Although not all his message got through, Edward Henderson’s alarm sent troops toward the track. The Andrews Raiders were captured near Ringgold when the General ran out of steam. They had accomplished little but lore surrounding the "Great Locomotive Chase" was born.

Robert Jenkins, an attorney and preservationist of area Civil War battlefields, noted the first recipients of the Medal of Honor were the majority of of the Andrews Raiders, making the depot a significant part of U.S. history.

I asked Aft about ideas for interpreting the chase and Civil War.

“At this stage, we expect to have some historical signage and a few artifacts, but I don’t have any specifics,” he said. “There are no plans for a ‘museum’ right now and no conversations about curating a collection or anything like that.  It is a possibility in the future, but what that will look like and how comprehensive it has yet to be determined.”

According to a nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places, “the depot might have been partially destroyed when Union troops entered Dalton and set fire to several buildings in 1862. It appears that the essential structure of the depot was not damaged and the restoration was confined to roof and interior repair. Since the ornamental brackets are stylistically later than the date of the rest of the building, it is likely that they replaced others lost in the destruction.”

The 12,100-square-foot brick building is “a pretty high-style example of Georgia depot architecture” and has Greek Revival features. It features stone lintels, brick pilasters and door entablatures.

Building will be a mix of old and the very new 

The old Western & Atlantic is a fixture in Dalton, Ga. (Picket photo)

The city years ago contracted with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation to market the vacant and deteriorated building. Officials wanted $500,000, but eventually sold it to local Barrett Properties in 2018 for $300,000. 

The community foundation will occupy the former nightclub area. Barrett Properties is marketing the other side, which still has remnants of dining booths.

The foundation is leasing its space, spending upward of $400,000 for the renovation at 110 Depot St.

During my hour-long tour, I got an occasional look at older features, including brick, telegraph window, wood flooring and a freight scale (Picket photo, left).

For Aft, the project mixes nostalgia, history and preservation. Not everyone is interested in each of those aspects, he acknowledged. But they are interested in community needs that include mental health programs, food banks, education and other civic projects. The area’s Latino population has grown considerably. Housing affordability is a big issue, said Aft.

“We partner with you to turn your dollars into impact through grants, endowments, foundations, and donor advised funds. Your passions might include your local community or a global community, and our expertise provides guidance and coordination to match your passions with real results,” the foundation says.

The foundation currently works from the top floor of a building with a more traditional setting, about a mile from the depot. The new location will allow about 40 people to comfortably gather and the foundation, when also using the large common area at the entrance, can host up to 200 people for receptions.

The trick is making up for less government funding

Officials said the reopened depot will help buttress revitalization in downtown Dalton.

They want locals to spend their dollars there, rather than nearby Chattanooga, Tenn., and to enjoy the nearby Burr Performing Arts Park, among other venues (Picket photo, right).

The foundation worked with the late philanthropist Jeanne Burr to create the venue, demonstrating arts and culture help fuel economic development.

Aft points to other attractions in the area: Retail at the Mill at Crown Garden, the Mill Line pedestrian and bicycle trail and Rocky Face Ridge Park, scene of a major Civil War battle in May 1864.

Like other nonprofits, the foundation faces challenges from reduced government spending. “We have to roll up our sleeves” to deal with what Aft called a resource scarcity crisis.

The need for nonprofits to step in to help address critical issues is especially important, given the general distrust of government in this deeply red corner of Georgia. Aft calls himself a cheerleader and facilitator.

“Charity is an act of confidence” that someone can care for their family and someone else, he said.

That concept is being challenged these days amid economic uncertainty.

Getting folks together in a pretty cool space

Norfolk Southern and CSX have tracks running through downtown Dalton, and another depot to the south serves as a tourism stop. Trains roll by regularly, so visitors will very much know the context of this gathering spot,

For Aft (left, Picket photo), the foundation is all about convening stakeholders. The setting needs to be comfortable, with a good flow that brings people together into the central room and then into corners featuring some privacy. Large TV monitors are being built into the space.

The staff will work from upstairs and lower-floor offices at the south end of the building.

They will foster engaging conversations and collaboration zones in the building. Aft figures it will take up to a year to figure out how to effectively use the space.

The key is preserving the wealth of the region while providing substantive results to individual donors and organizations and government.

The executive says his role is to support dreams, listen closely and provide reality checks on ideas.

Aft’s mantra: “Be helpful.”