Sad

We found out yesterday that an historic building on the campus of Toccoa Falls College, my alma mater, burned to the ground. The gateway to the grand falls, Gate Cottage was such a big part of my history growing up as I visited my grandparents who lived on campus. I remember visiting there as a little girl, strolling through the old gift shop that was underneath the restaurant. During college, Gate Cottage was a place that housed many wonderful memories of visiting the falls with friends. Most recently, Sean and I were there just this past Christmas on a walk around campus. Sean and I are also especially saddened as it was the site of our wedding reception just a little over 4 years ago. So many memories...

The only thing left standing is the original stone wall and steps that my grandfather, "Papa", actually helped to build back in the 1930's. Ironically, my father was there for its demise yesterday in the wee hours of the morning, as he and other policemen and firemen watched it burn. Anyone familiar with the history of this school knows that it has withstood its lion's share of fire and flood tragedies, the most notable of which being the great flood of 1977, which Gate Cottage was able to withstand. The picture above is of the building as I remember it as a little girl, before the newer addition was added several years ago. Our prayers are with the staff and students of the Falls during this hard time.