Local Historian Receives Spirit of Sandy Springs Award

Provided by Julie Johnson, Sandy Springs Society.

Clarke Otten, founder and President of the Sandy Springs Historic Preservation Society, has received the Spirit of Sandy Springs Award.

He received the award from the Sandy Springs Society, a philanthropic organization, in May. The award was established in 1995 to honor a volunteer who exemplifies the spirit of community service by contributing to the betterment of Sandy Springs. The Sandy Springs Society donates $1,000 to a charity of the recipient’s choice.

An announcement said, Otten has worked tirelessly to compile and share data on the history of Sandy Springs by speaking regularly at various civic events and creating a website, two Facebook pages and an interactive forum.

He is co-authoring a book on the History of Sandy Springs and recently created a video production company which expects to release a project in the Spring of 2014 to commemorate the 150 anniversary of the Battle of Atlanta, a video focusing on various aspects of the Civil War as it impacted Sandy Springs. 

Additional projects include the compilation of a comprehensive history of the Lost Corner Preserve, the city’s most recent park, as well as assisting the Friends of the Heard Family Cemetery to help recover and protect this vital historic resource.