Walking “The Hill”

The Thurmond-Barks-Knowlton House, c. 1818, began as a one-room cabin with loft. The two-story addition and columns were part of an 1850 addition.

with Lee Epting & John Knowlton

Tuesday, September 7 at 6:30 pm

Saturday, November 6 at 10 am

1800 Crescent Lane, also known as “The Hill” is an enclave of several historic homes that were saved from demolition and moved to the site. The Hill had its origins with Lee Epting’s grandparents, The Daniels, who lived there in the 1930s. Epting’s foray into historic preservation and reclamation came while converting his Grandfather Daniel’s barn for a party house while in college—a project which soon evolved into making the structure his home. In 1979, the Eptings provided a home for a circa 1800 two-story log house built by his family in South Carolina.  As word spread, other condemned and threatened homes found their way to The Hill. Eventually, Epting’s orphanage for endangered houses grew to include eight period homes, located in a picturesque landscape of unpaved drives with no streetlights. The homes include the c. 1800 Donnald-Epting House, the c. 1801 Hodgson-Lumpkin House, and the c. 1818 Thurmond-Barks-Knowlton House. Four of the homes are used to host weddings, special events and business retreats and are rented for both short and long-term guest housing. The Hill was the location for the film Not Since You, a movie written by Epting’s son Ashley, which premiered in April 2010 at Ciné. This tour will last approximately two hours.

Your tour guides:

A native Athenian, Lee Epting attended Emory University and the University of Georgia, from which he earned a BBA in 1967. While at both colleges, he ran his fraternity’s kitchen as a business, and his career in catering and restaurant operation was launched. Early in his career, Epting restored the 1909 Southern Railway passenger station on Hoyt Street and opened a restaurant there. His catering business began soon after, and today he is the owner of Epting Events, which began with himself, a cook and a bartender and has now expanded into a business which employs 75 people. His latest venture is Harry’s Pig Shop, already an Athens’ favorite. Epting has served as a trustee with the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation and is a generous supporter of many local causes and events.

John Knowlton is a healthcare fundraising consultant for nonprofit hospitals. In that role, he has developed and led educational seminars for fundraising volunteers and development staff. Knowlton has both a law degree and a doctorate in adult education with a focus on leadership and management effectiveness from the University of Georgia. In his spare time, he owns and enjoys J. Knowlton Antiques, an upscale English antiques business, which is run from his home on The Hill. He enjoyed exploring the South Georgia farmhouses of his youth and became interested in antiques and historic houses while listening to his father telling stories about family homes, his grandfather’s mill, and the history of the family’s antiques.