Night Sky Coffee Roasters Honored with Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s Michael L. Starr Award

Night Sky Coffee Roasters is proud to announce that its downtown Winder location has been awarded the prestigious Michael L. Starr Award by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. This award recognizes excellence in the rehabilitation of historic downtown buildings and celebrates projects that have a significant and lasting impact on their communities.

Originally constructed by 1903, the historic masonry building that now houses Night Sky Coffee Roasters is a hallmark of early 20th-century commercial architecture. Its remarkable rehabilitation preserved key elements such as the original masonry façades, cast iron storefronts, beadboard ceilings, wood flooring, and transom windows — all while seamlessly introducing modern updates like concealed structural supports and upgraded plumbing and electrical systems.

Millie and Charlie accepting the Michael L. Starr Award

The project successfully balanced historic preservation with functionality, transforming the building into a vibrant coffee shop and roastery that serves as a cornerstone of downtown Winder. By utilizing state and federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits, Night Sky Coffee Roasters exemplified how honoring a building’s historic character can drive local pride, economic revitalization, and community renewal.

“We are incredibly honored to receive the Michael L. Starr Award,” said Charlie Finch, co-founder of Night Sky Coffee Roasters. “This project was about more than restoring a beautiful old building — it was about creating a place where our community could gather, reconnect, and celebrate Winder’s rich history.”

The Michael L. Starr Award, created in 2020 in memory of Mike Starr, former Board Chair of the Georgia Trust and the Georgia Cities Foundation, is awarded annually to a project that embodies the highest standards of historic rehabilitation and demonstrates a transformative impact on the downtown area.

Night Sky Coffee Roasters’ success highlights how thoughtful preservation efforts can breathe new life into historic spaces, making them vital parts of a community’s present and future.