History
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profiles & timelines

A Brief History of Athens
A profile of Athens and UGA from the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau.

History Profiles from the New Georgia Encyclopedia

History Profiles from the ACC Government

Hope for Athens Historical Timeline
View a timeline of significant events over the 150 year history of the Reese Street neighborhood in Athens, an historically African American community. The story of the Reese Street neighborhood is told in pictures, words, documents, archival materials, video and audio interviews.

photos & images

Historic Images of Athens
Historic images of Athens, the University of Georgia, and notable people in the community. Images provided by UGA's Hargrett Library.

Historic Postcards of Athens
Postcard images of historic buildings and landmarks in Athens dating from the early 1900s through the 1970s.

Historic Photos from the Vanishing Georgia Collection

Historically significant photographs of people, places, and structures.

Growing up in Athens GA
A Facebook group containing thousands of historic photos of Athens and its people that have been contributed by members.

historic buildings, districts & markers

Historic Architecture and Landscapes
Photographs and information about important and representative architectural sites and landscapes in Athens.

National Register of Historic Places
Athens boasts 21 historic districts and 31 other sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, our nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation for their significance to American history.

Athens Historic Neighborhoods
Athens has a variety of neighborhoods representing all forms of Southern architecture that have been designated as local historic districts.

Athens Historic House Museum Association
Provides a cooperative effort to preserve, interpret, and promote historic resources as vehicles for education, environmental quality, aesthetic appreciation, and heritage tourism. A joint effort of the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation and the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Church-Waddel-Brumby House
The historic Federal-style Church-Waddel-Brumby House is the oldest surviving house in Athens and serves as the Athens Welcome Center.

Seney-Stovall Chapel
This unusual octagonal building was built in 1882 as the chapel for the Lucy Cobb Institute, abandoned shortly after WWII, and transferred to the University of Georgia in 1953. Restoration of the chapel was completed in 1997. Today the chapel is used by a variety of university and community groups for plays, concerts, lectures, weddings, and other special events.

Taylor-Grady House
The Taylor Grady House is built in the Greek Revivial style and was owned by acclaimed newspaper editor Henry W. Grady. A National Historic Landmark, the house has been restored to historical accuracy. The house museum and grounds are open to the public for tours and special events.

T.R.R. Cobb House
The restored home of Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb, a prominent Athens citizen of the mid-19th century, is open to the public as a historic house museum. A Greek Revival style structure originally built in 1834, the home now serves an educational purpose as a museum and resource center that cultivates a greater understanding of 19th century southern life.

Ware-Lyndon House
The Ware-Lyndon House is a c.1840's Late Greek Revival home with Italianate influence. Now serving as a historic house museum, the interior has been restored and arranged with decorative art and furnishings of the period. The historic display room features artifacts relevant to the historic house and to the history of Athens.

Clarke County Historical Markers
Images and text from historical markers located throughout Clarke County.

historic cemeteries

Oconee Hill Cemetery
Oconee Hill Cemetery is a 100-acre historic cemetery established in 1856 where many prominent Athenians are interred in a park-like setting.

Jackson Street Cemetery
A cemetery on the University of Georgia's North Campus used between 1810 and 1856 and holding around 800 graves of Athens' earliest citizens.

Gospel Pilgrim Cemetery
An historic cemetery founded in 1882 by the Gospel Pilgrim Society to fulfill a need for a respected and beautiful place for African-American burials in the Athens area.

maps

Historical Maps of Athens and Clarke County

Map of the Property of the Athens Park and Improvement Co.
This map illustrates the area known today as the Boulevard Historic District around the time of its founding circa 1898.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps 1885-1918
Originally designed for purposes of fire insurance assessment, Sanborn Maps are highly detailed city plans depicting the commercial, industrial, and residential sections of cities. Sanborn Maps illustrate the location, size, shape, construction and building material of dwellings, commercial buildings, and factories.

Maps of Local Historic Districts
Current-day maps of Boulevard, Cobbham, Dearing, Milledge, and more.

Clarke County Historical Maps
Maps showing the boundaries of Clarke County from 1822 to 2001.

University of Georgia Historical Campus Maps
Maps of the UGA campus dating from 1805 to the present day.

tours

Self-Guided Tour Brochures
Self-guided tour brochures created by the Athens Welcome Center provide detailed information aboout significant historical sites in Athens, including various historic districts, Civil War sites, and Athens music history.

historic newspapers

Athens Historic Newspapers Archive
Provides full-text articles from nine Athens newspapers spanning the years 1827-1928.

Red & Black Archive
An online archive of the Red and Black covering the years 1893-2006.

historic books

Annals of Athens, Georgia, 1801-1901
First published in 1906 to perpetuate the history of Athens and her people, the book begins with sketches written by Dr. Henry Hull. These recollections were published in 1879 in the Southern Watchman and covered the period through 1825. The rest of the story through 1901 was told by Augustus Longstreet Hull, one of Athens' most prolific and notable historians. This book has become the first source most historians consult when studying the earliest years of Athens and the University of Georgia.

Antebellum Athens and Clarke County, Georgia
A full-text book that chronicles sixty years of change from the founding of the city and county and their early development up through the years preceding the Civil War. Published in 1974 by the UGA Press.

Clarke County, GA and the City of Athens
Written by Charles Morton Strahan and published in 1893, the book records the main facts of the history, development, and then-present status of the county.

library resources

Athens-Clarke County Library Heritage Room
The Heritage Room provides extensive history and genealogy resources from the Athens area, the state of Georgia, and the Southeastern U.S.

The Hargrett Library
The Hargrett Library collections housed at UGA's Special Collection Library focus on Georgia history and culture, holding rare books, historical manuscripts, photographs, maps, broadsides, and UGA archives & records.

films

Amateur Film of Athens
14-minute clip of a color amateur film of scenes around Athens, circa 1947.

The Big Campus
Welcome to the University of Georgia circa 1951! This collection of online films includes a color film showcasing the campus, downtown Athens, and building projects at the University from over a half century ago.

oral history

Athens Oral History Project
The Athens Oral History Project was initiated in 2014 to document modern Athens history from the mid-20th century to the present. Interviews cover topics such as neighborhoods and communities in Athens, African American history, civil rights demonstrations, and personal histories of narrators.

population & demographics

United States Historical Census Browser
Historical demographic, economic, and social data for each state and county from 1790 to 1960. Types of data available vary from decade to decade.

church history

Cooperation Marked Early Days of Churches in Clarke County
Church history from the settling of Athens through 1850.

Dramatic Growth Marked Clarke Church Community
Church history from 1850 through 1900.

Baptists and Methodists Dominated Clarke's Church Denominational Makeup
Church history from 1900 through 1950.

Athens' Religious Community Adapted for Changing Needs
Church history from 1950 through 2000.

education history

Metamorphosis of the Clarke County Public School System
This article from the Athens Banner-Herald provides an overview of public education in Clarke County from the 1870's to the present.

Clarke County School Desegregation, 1963-1971
An article by Dr. Marion J. Rice, professor emeritus of social science education at UGA and former president of the Athens Historical Society.

Private Schools Add Diversity to Athens' Educational System
Traces the history of various private schools in Athens-Clarke County.

health care history

History of Athens Regional Medical Center

History of St. Mary’s Health Care System

music history

Athens has served as wellspring of musical talent
'Few cities in the world can claim a musical identity that has become as well-known, diverse and entrenched as Athens'.' This article orginally appeared in 'Historical Perspective of Clarke County, Part 4, 1950-2001' as part of the Athens-Clarke County Bicentennial.

Music scene exploded after strike by B-52's
'A seminal event in the Athens music scene occurred on Valentine's Day in 1977 when the B-52's made their debut at a house party across from the Taco Stand on North Milledge Avenue.' This article chronicles the growth of the Athens music scene since that time.

Athens Music History Walking Tour
Experience Athens' world-renowned musical roots in this self-guided walking tour, developed by Flagpole Magazine, the Athens Welcome Center, and Athensmusic.net. The guide explores over 30 important sites throughout Athens.

transportation history

History of Athens Transit
The development of public transit in Athens since 1885 onwards.

Streetcars in Athens
Traces the history of streetcars serving Athens from their introduction in 1885 until they were replaced by buses in 1930.

Athens Depots
Profiles and photos of historic railway depots in Athens.

historical societies

Athens Historical Society
A non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of Athens, Clarke County, and the surrounding area.

Clarke-Oconee Genealogical Society
Promotes the collection and preservation of information about Clarke and Oconee Counties and helps members further individual research efforts and knowledge.

historic preservation

Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation
As a leading advocate for the importance of historic preservation to the future of Athens, ACHF seeks to be a proactive force in developing community-wide understanding of the value of historic buildings, neighborhoods, and heritage.

Athens Historic House Museum Association
Provides a cooperative effort to preserve, interpret, and promote historic resources as vehicles for education, environmental quality, aesthetic appreciation, and heritage tourism. A joint effort of the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation and the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau.

ACC Historic Preservation Commission
A seven-member body composed of ACC residents appointed by the Mayor and Commission to deliberate and make recommendations regarding the protection of historic resources in Athens-Clarke County.

ACC Planning Department
The mission of the Planning Department is to manage community change effectively with regard to land use, transportation, historic preservation and overall development to achieve a positive environment that is productive and beneficial to all citizens of Athens-Clarke County.

Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation in Athens
A study conducted by the Athens-Clarke County Planning Department.