Historic Athens

08/31/2026

: The Lumpkin House

Constructed between 1842 and 1844, the Lumpkin House served as the home of Wilson Lumpkin and his family, with Wilson dying in 1870, until the house was sold to UGA by his daughter, Martha Atalanta Lumpkin Compton, in 1907.

Wilson Lumpkin stands as one of Georgia's most prominent politicians in the Antebellum era. He was most notable and infamous for his support for and facilitation of the forced removal of the Cherokee people to Oklahoma throughout his service as US Representative, Governor, and US Commissioner to the Cherokee Indians in the 1820s and 1830s. Wilson lived in the house, located on a nearly 1,000-acre plantation that would later comprise the majority of the University of Georgia's South Campus, until his death in 1870, at which point the house passed to Martha. Martha Lumpkin Compton, the namesake of Atlanta's original name, "Marthasville," gradually sold the property to UGA, with the house and remaining acres sold in 1907 under the provision that the home be preserved or else it would return to her heirs. While this provision is likely not enforceable in court, the house has remained in its location along Cedar St. as South Campus developed around it, serving as a classroom, library, and office space at various times.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Lumpkin House was constructed from a unique local bedrock, Athens Gneiss, cut on-site at the property. Designed to resemble an old mill house near Cedar Shoals, the house features a layout consisting of four rooms on each floor, all surrounding a central hall. The house displays Greek Revival elements in the vertical windows and wooden bar surrounding its primary door. One of the most defining features of the house is the one-story porch, supported by wooden posts, that juts out in front of the home's primary entrance.

Interested in learning more? Become a Historic Athens member today at historicathens.com/join!

📷: Historic Architecture and Landscapes of Georgia: The Hubert Bond Owens and John Linley Image Collections at the Owens Library

08/30/2026

: A view down Clayton St. from its intersection with Lumpkin St. circa the 1970s!

08/29/2026

, where we'll be posting historic student life, townie happenings, and old stories from back in the day, right here from Athens, Georgia.

Athens is famous for its contributions to rock music, though its equally vibrant jazz scene has long gone unnoticed. Thanks to one of the country’s oldest surviving vaudeville theaters, the Morton Theater, African American performers have brought life to jazz music in the Classic City, performing for over 100 years.

Jazz festivals like these, pictured in 1989, are what give “Hot Corner” its name as the epicenter of black culture, music, and commerce on Hull and Washington St.

Want to learn more? Become a Historic Athens member today at historicathens.com/join
📸/📚: Hargrett Library; The Morton Theatre

08/27/2026

Thank you to everyone who helped us door hang and recruit hosts for Historic Athens Porchfest but we still need your help: do you live in the Boulevard, Buena Vista Heights, Newtown, Normaltown, Pulaski Heights, or Reese-Hancock neighborhood? Do you have a porch, stoop, driveway, front yard, or business? Can YOU host a performance for Historic Athens Porchfest on Sunday, October 18, 2026?

👉️ Sign up at bit.ly/porchhost26 now!

Join us and the rest of the Classic City in celebrating local music, history, community, and all things Athens: sign up to host a performance for Porchfest 2026!

Want to sign up but don’t have a traditional porch? Don’t sweat it. Porches, stoops, yards, and driveways all work. Even local businesses can open their doors for a performance. If it’s residential in character and allows for a street-facing show, it’s perfect!

This event relies on our community’s generosity, and we NEED your porches to make it happen: bit.ly/porchhost26.

08/26/2026

RIP to the singer-songwriter, actress, author, writer, humanitarian, philanthropist, and legend, Dolly Parton.

Dolly Parton visited Athens on May 10, 1978 where she performed a concert at UGA’s Stegeman Coliseum with special guest Andrew Gold. On May 9, the night before the concert, UGA students threw a “Parton Party” at Legion Pool featuring live music and a Dolly Parton lookalike contest.

Pictured here is Dolly at the Howard Johnson Inn (or more colloquially known as the HoJos) on West Broad Street, just outside of Downtown Athens. Second slide features a newspaper advertisement for her performance at UGA.

📸 1st Picture: by Dan McLure; 2nd Picture: Georgia Historic Newspapers (The Red & Black)

08/25/2026

08/25/2026

Historic Athens is pleased to announce that Katy Atkins has joined the Historic Athens team as our new Housing Preservation Coordinator on Friday, August 14. In this role, Katy will lead the Hands On Historic Athens program and serve as our organization's office/administrative coordinator.

Katy recently earned her master’s degree in Community Development from UGA, where her research included aging in place and innovative solutions to homelessness. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Housing Management and Policy and completed coursework in accounting and real estate through the Terry College of Business. Katy has also worked with the East Athens Development Corporation (EADC), and has a passion for equitable solutions to housing & economic development. She is also a singer and very involved in the Georgia Children's Chorus and the NOVA Women's Choral Collective.

Her combination of housing knowledge, community-based experience, and financial training will be a tremendous asset to Hands On Historic Athens and our broader operations. We're incredibly grateful for Katy joining our team and advancing our mission of preserving and celebrating the cultural heritage of Athens, Georgia.

08/24/2026

PORCHFEST NEEDS YOUR HELP!

We are recruiting volunteers for 2026 Historic Athens Porchfest, a grassroots music festival featuring local musicians with over 200 performances spread across seven historic neighborhoods where each area hosts bands on porches, offering a chance to explore different parts of Athens while enjoying live music.

We have several volunteer opportunities available, including:

🌞 Doorhanger Distribution: Drop in anytime between the hours of 9am-12pm on Thursday, August 27th to help deliver Porchfest doorhanger announcements in the the 7 neighborhoods.

🌞 Yard Sign & Performer Bucket Distribution: Drop in anytime between the hours of 9am-5pm in October to help deliver Porchfest signs to hosts in the 7 neighborhoods.

🌞 Day-of Event Ex*****on: Help with various tasks on the day of Historic Athens Porchfest to ensure everything runs smoothly. Tasks may include setting up, greeting attendees, providing directions, and assisting performers.

This event relies on the support of our community to make it happen, and the more the merrier. We could use all the help we can get! Thank you for the support, and sign up at bit.ly/porchhelp26 🌞

08/23/2026

: 20 years ago today on August 23, 2006, Raising Cane's opened in Athens, Georgia on Baxter Street.

Known for their fried chicken, famous sauce, and and ever-present drive-thru line, Raising Cane's founder, Todd Graves, worked at the Guthrie’s at this exact same location while attending UGA. Inspired by his time there, Graves and his business partner Craig Silvey opened the first Raising Cane's in Baton Rouge near the LSU campus in 1996, then 10 years later opened their 48th Raising Cane's in the Classic City.

08/22/2026

Announcement Day is back! Join the Historic Athens Porchfest team on Friday, September 11 at at Athentic Brewing Company starting at 6:00 PM as we reveal the full lineup for this year’s Porchfest live in-person and via Instagram Live.

Historic Athens Porchfest is a grassroots music festival featuring local musician performances spread across Athens neighborhoods where each area hosts bands on porches, offering a chance to explore different parts of Athens while enjoying live music.We have more than 200 porches and performers across seven historic neighborhoods, and on Friday, September 11th we’ll be sharing plenty of exciting new additions to the event.

The night’s event includes:

🎶 Lineup, collab beer, merch, and new additions revealed at 6:00 PM (in person and livestreamed)
🎶 Live performances starting at 7:30 PM
🎶 Burgers, tacos, and more from Café Racer
🎶 Local beer and spirits from Athentic

Historic Athens Porchfest has become one of our community’s biggest events, and this party is your first chance to be part of the excitement leading up to the big day on Sunday, October 18, 2026.