Two John Walz models of Athena and Demeter, kept in the school district's Bull Street attic since 1901, go to Savannah Tech students for repair.

Two small sculptures by Savannah sculptor John Walz have come down from the attic of the school district’s central office on Bull Street. They had been stored there since 1901.

Students in Savannah Technical College’s Historic Preservation Program will now repair and stabilize them. The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System announced the move in a news release Thursday.

What the sculptures are

The pieces are maquettes, the small working models a sculptor makes before the full-size work. Walz used them to develop the larger figures on the building’s portico, which overlooks Oglethorpe, the district said.

  • Demeter, the Greek goddess of fertility and abundance, holds a cornucopia of fruit.
  • Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, is shown in thought with a pen, studying a tablet.

The building

The Central Office Building at 208 Bull St. was designed by architect Henry Urban and built in 1901, according to the district. It replaced the Chatham Academy building, which a fire destroyed in 1899.

The building is now in the design stage of a major renovation. That is why the maquettes were moved, the district said. Specialty Moving Co. of Savannah handled the removal and the trip to Savannah Tech.

What happens next

Students in the Historic Preservation Program, led by department head Connie Pinkerton, will use traditional conservation techniques on the two pieces. Once they are restored, the district expects to put them on display in Massie’s Historic Preservation Gallery.

The release did not give a date for the work to finish or for the display to open.

What it means for you

  • The two models have spent 125 years in an attic. The gallery display, when it comes, will be the chance to see them up close.
  • The full-size Walz figures they were made for are still on the building’s portico, on the Oglethorpe side, and can be seen from the street.
  • We will add the display date here when the district announces it. For more of the district’s news, see our Savannah schools guide.