UGA North Campus/Old Athens Cemetery
The Holmes/Hunter Academic Building was originally two separate buildings, the oldest of which, Ivy Hall, was completed in 1831.
with Nash Boney
Thursday, July 30 @ 7 pm
Saturday, October 17 @ 10 am SOLD OUT!
In 1785, the Georgia legislature chartered the nation’s first state university, but it wasn’t until 1800 that a site was chosen in a remote frontier area on a rise above the Oconee River. In 1801, President Josiah Meigs began to teach a few students in a log cabin, and by 1806 workers had completed the first permanent structure, Franklin College, now known as Old College, which served as both classroom and dormitory for the University’s first students. North Campus is home to many of Athens’ most historic and treasured buildings, many of which have been carefully renovated to preserve their architectural and historic significance. The tour will also include the Old Athens Cemetery on Jackson Street. Established in 1810, the cemetery had reached capacity as early as the 1840s and was closed in 1856. As memory of those buried there faded, so did concern for its condition, and the cemetery fell victim to neglect and vandalism. In 2004, the property was deeded back to the University, which began a painstaking assessment and restoration. This tour will last approximately 2 hours.
Your tour guide:
Nash Boney, Ph.D. University of Virginia, taught American history at the University of Georgia for 28 years. He published nine books and authored over a hundred articles and book reviews, specializing in Southern history with an emphasis on Georgia and Virginia. Boney has written and lectured extensively on the University of Georgia. His encyclopedic knowledge of the University’s history and his droll take on its people and places make for a fascinating tour. In addition to his many academic articles and tomes, Boney has authored A Pictorial History of the University of Georgia, A Walking Tour of the University of Georgia, and The University of Georgia Trivia Book.