Boy Scout landscapes Gainesville's historic Piedmont Hotel

GAINESVILLE - A historic hotel in Gainesville is getting some landscaping help from the Boy Scouts.

Austin Phillips, 16, raised the money, enlisted fellow scouts and went to work landscaping the restored remaining wing of the Piedmont Hotel, which was once owned and operated by Confederate Gen. James Longstreet, Robert E. Lee's right hand man.

The project helped get the hotel ready for its public opening, and helped Phillips earn his Eagle Scout badge.

"It sparked something," he said. "We decided this was perfect to give us something to do that would help the community."

Phillips used plants that the General would have recognized to meet city requirements to landscape a parking lot fence.

"All the plants are native to that time," he said. "I hope he would like it."

Phillips said he raised $3,000 for the project and donated surplus funds to the restoration effort.