Valdosta State University is the recipient of a 2015 Excellence in Rehabilitation Award from The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation annually recognizes significant contributions to the preservation of Georgia’s historic resources. VSU’s two-year, two-phase McKey-Seago House project was one of nine Excellence in Rehabilitation Award recipients honored during the 38^th annual Preservation Awards in Athens.

“We are proud of this statewide recognition, as it showcases our dedication to historic properties on campus,” said Alan Sanderson, architect and assistant director of the Office of Facilities Planning at VSU. “VSU recognized the historic significance of the McKey-Seago House as a connection to the original fabric of the city and chose to invest in this rehabilitative effort to ensure the building's lasting legacy.” 

VSU acquired the McKey-Seago House in 1995. Located at 1208 N. Patterson St., the property is currently home to the university’s Office of Social Equity.

“The greatest challenge for this project was to rehabilitate the aging infrastructure that had caused visible water damage in the ceilings and walls,” according to a description of the project. “Because of the funding available for the project, it was determined that a two-phase rehabilitation was necessary. The first phase would include exterior rehabilitation to remediate any building envelope issues. The exterior work encompassed roof replacement; wood siding, trim, and window repair and paint; brick column repair; and a new basement access hatch. The second phase continued the initial effort with repair work on the interior. The interior work included ceiling and wall repairs, wood floor cleaning and sealing, and complete interior painting. The second phase also replaced the air conditioning systems, water supply piping from the city main water meter to the house, and water distribution piping for the first floor plumbing fixtures.”

VSU’s Office of Facilities Planning developed the scope of work, with Barber Contracting of Moultrie serving as general contractor for the project. The first phase of the rehabilitation was completed in fall 2013 and cost $150,000. The second was completed a year later and cost $135,391.74.

The McKey-Seago House is a Georgian Cottage-style home in the Valdosta Local Historic District, between the Brookwood North Historic District and the North Patterson Historic Districts as listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was constructed between 1915 and 1920 by the McKey Family and was continuously owned by that family until 1986 when the Seago Family purchased it.

The McKey-Seago House was originally a one-story structure. According to information provided by the Lowndes County Historical Society, an entire second floor, housekeeping quarters, a renovated kitchen area, and the complete replacement of the front porch columns are all milestones in the home’s history. The current structure houses roughly 4,276 square feet of enclosed space, with a 744-square-foot front porch. 

The McKey-Seago House is the last of its kind on two city blocks owned by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Surrounding residential structures were all replaced by commercial buildings in the latter half of the 20th century.