About us
Who We Are
Friends of Lost Corner (FOLC) is an all volunteer, non-profit organization that operates under a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Sandy Springs. It provides stewardship to the Lost Corner Preserv 24 acre City Park park through funding, community engagement, programming, volunteers, and support for greenspace preservation. The FOLC all-volunteer Board works to provide learning, volunteer and other engagement opportunities to the public for free. Board operations are sustained through the revenue generated by Community Garden fees, donations by program attendees, one-off donations and grants pursued by the Board.
MIssion Statement
Friends of Lost Corner’s mission is to carefully maintain Lost Corner as a Preserve for the tranquil appreciation of native plants and animals in accordance with the wishes of Peggy Miles while enhancing the visually beautiful and historic environment for the residents of Sandy Springs; and to foster appreciation and preservation of additional environmental, historical, and cultural interests for other locations within Sandy Springs through children’s educational programs and other activities and projects.
Where We Are
Lost Corner Preserve is a located* at:
7300 Brandon Mill Rd.
Sandy Springs, GA 30328
The blinking light lets you know that you have arrived at the Park. Don't miss the driveway located on Brandon Mill Rd near the intersection.
*This is NOT our mailing address it is the Preserve location. Please see the Contact page for our mailing address.
Friendly Neighbors
Friends of Lost Corner unofficially began in 2003 when Trisha Thompson Fox and Cheryl Barlow (pictured) started visiting Ms. Peggy Miles at her home tucked away on the 24 acre tract of land. Trisha was a past president of their home owners association and Cheryl was the current president. Ms. Miles’ family bought the property in 1913 from the original owners and she was born there in 1923. The original homestead foundation remains from the 1850s, and the Miles family built a charming craftsman bungalow on top of it in 1916. Peggy never married, had no children and lived alone although she did work at the VA. Trisha and Cheryl would visit to check on her.
Peggy Miles
Over the years, they spent many visits sitting on her porch, chatting about many different things, especially the animals and plants which Ms. Miles knew in detail, even the Latin names. She would tell them stories about growing up on Lost Corner. Her father called the property Lost Corner because people would have trouble finding it. He sold electricity for Georgia Power in conjunction with the Morgan Falls Dam project and the house was one of the first in the area to have electricity. Peggy would walk to the two roomed school house at Morgan Falls Rd. and try to avoid the noise from the logging trucks rumbling along Roswell Road. It was during one of Trisha's and Cheryl's visits, in 2006, when Cheryl had brought her new baby and 4 year old along that Ms. Miles told them she didn’t want the property to ever change. She told them she wanted it to stay the way it is so everyone could enjoy it, especially children.
a request Realized
Peggy's wish brought together different groups who made Lost Corner Preserve a reality. After Ms. Miles decided to conserve her land, The Trust for Public Land was brought in to legally document her wishes in a Deed Restriction and to raise money to purchase the 24 acres. The funds would provide a life estate for Miles. A total of $833,334 was raised to acquire the property. . A total of $833,334 was raised to acquire the property. The funding came from the City of Sandy Springs and a Governor Sunny Purdue’s Georgia Land Conservation Program grant. The Trust for Public Land, the Conservancy, and Friends of Lost Corner with the help of Ralph Daniels with Fulton County Commissioner Tom Lowe’s office raised the balanced needed.
Lost Corner Offically Opens
Sadly in 2008, shortly after the deed was completed by TPL and the funds transferred to Ms. Miles, she died at Lost Corner in the home where she had been born. On her death, TPL transferred the deed and property ownership to the City of Sandy Springs. Her desire to keep Lost Corner intact was realized. In 2011, the City asked Thompson-Fox and Barlow to officially form Friends of Lost Corner, a 510c3 to help Ms. Miles fulfill her wish of opening up the property for use by the community. Two more acres were added and various park improvements came into use, during a long “soft opening” of the park. Friends of Lost Corner designed and opened the Community Garden to the public in spring of 2013 and consulted on the renovation of the Cottage which was completed in 2014. The City installed trails, implemented security measures and built the parking lot. The park officially opened to the public on March 17, 2016 – just a week past the 10 year beginning of the adventure.