About Us

The Vinings Historic Preservation Society was established in 1993 by the Ruth Carter Vanneman Foundation, Inc., a non-profit, charitable corporation, for the purpose of preserving the historic spirit and structures of Vinings. Historic buildings like the Pace House, the Old Pavilion and Vinings Center serve as a focal point for Vinings’ colorful history and tell vivid stories of the city’s past. We work to accomplish our mission in four ways.

Our primary mission is to preserve, protect and maintain the historic places and spirit of our jewel of a town. You'll see below that much of that comes through education, engaging the community and maintaining relationships. A lot of the work of preservation, though, is just that: work. We need not only membership dollars but also skilled hands and willing hearts to do the actual work of keeping up our historic places and holding events. As we volunteer, we learn about the town's past and present, engage fellow members of our community and forge new friendships. The whole rest of our mission grows out from the work of preservation.

Key to our mission is the education of the public about the local history and historic architecture that contribute to Vinings' status as a choice address for business and residence. To this end, VHPS maintains a sort of museum of Vinings history among our three main facilities. We collect and display artifacts and other memorabilia from old Vinings and the founding family, the Paces. We feel that the more people learn about Vinings' past, the more they'll want to be involved in its future. The interest of the public and the Vinings community are absolutely necessary to maintain the historic and aesthetic integrity of this unique city.

In addition to the work our corps of volunteers and officials do together, scheduling events and community programs helps to involve the public in the enjoyment of Vinings' historic spirit. Many of our regular events like the annual Vinings Tour of Homes have become major points on the Vinings social calendar. Bringing together members of the community helps to strengthen relationships as well as commitment to the preservation of Vinings history.

If we do all of those things right, then the work of forging strong relationships with the community and stakeholders in Vinings endeavors is already halfway done. But we still make sure to reach out to government, businesses, civic organizations and community groups to find common goals and promote the relationship between the history of Vinings and the direction where it's heading.

Our mission is to preserve the historic spirit and structures of Vinings, educate the public about local history, engage in community preservation activities, and forge long-lasting relationships with the local residents and stakeholders toward its endeavors.