It will be A Vanity Affair Friday, in celebration of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s 40th anniversary.

The Preservation Gala will be at Ivy Hall in Midtown, a 130-year-old Victorian building that was fully renovated in 2005 by Savannah College of Art and Design’s Atlanta campus with the help of the trust.

Honorary chair Camille Yow said the building can be described using a phrase from her favorite writer Brendan Gill: “Invincibly romantic confection.”

“It’s going to be an elegant interesting party because the house is so interesting,” she said. “It’s just from a different period of time.”

The 4,300-square-foot house was built in 1883 and vacant by 1970. The house was the Mansion Restaurant for about 20 years and was left abandoned again after a fire in 2000. One of three event chairs, Georgia Schley Ritchie, said all gala guests will arrive in an old-fashioned trolley to Ivy Hall. Soiree Catering will provide the food from different vendors in the city, and there will be a large clear tent outside with a couple of bars and the band Papa Soul.

“We’re very happy for SCAD to get the recognition they deserve for this beautiful renovation. It comes full circle,” Ritchie said. “Georgia Trust was really involved with saving the building.”

She said they hope to raise more than $100,000 this year, which will go back to the trust.

One of the primary projects is the Revolving Fund, which allows the trust to purchase properties with historic significance, Ritchie said.

“We can buy that property and we sell it with easements all over it, so it will never get torn down and must be maintained,” she said.

The trust hopes to get more people involved, especially younger crowds.

“People tend to associate historic preservation with older people. We would love to get people more involved and make them aware of the importance of saving our heritage,” Ritchie said. “One thing I’m learning in Atlanta is that a lot of these organizations were formed when this urban renewal meant the loss of very fine buildings.”

Ritchie said Yow “really got it all going” in the ’70s.

“The mission is to advocate, preserve and revitalize historic resources and to help Georgians appreciate their developments,” Yow said. “Developments in historic communities complement life and enrich our communities. … It just makes life more interesting.”

If you go:

o When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

o Where: Ivy Hall, 179 Ponce de Leon Ave.,Midtown

o Tickets: $175 for non-members (includes membership to the trust) and $150 for members, $100 for guests under 40

o Information: www.georgiatrust.org or (404) 885-7812