Historic Athens

Historic Athens Historic Athens is a 501(c)(3) education and advocacy non-profit working to celebrate and conserve community heritage in Athens, Georgia, USA.
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This lovely view of Athens, Georgia comes from the 1920s near the southwest corner of Reese and Finley Streets looking i...
05/31/2026

This lovely view of Athens, Georgia comes from the 1920s near the southwest corner of Reese and Finley Streets looking into the site of the original UGA Botanical Garden. This site was the pride of Athens from 1832 into the 1850s, still offering beauty 70 years later in the backyards of Athenians in the Hancock-Reese District.

After the garden was sold, a portion of it was part of the campus of the famous Knox Institute, in the area where the county has its public playground. At the time of this photo, tourists were instructed to look willows in the area - all propagated from Napoleon's grave on St. Helena.

Learn more about the forgotten history of our first botanical garden this Tuesday, June 2nd at noon at the Lyndon House Arts Center. This FREE event will dive into the history of one of Athens’ most fascinating and often-overlooked historic spaces. Together, we’ll look at how the garden reflected changing ideas about education, science, and public life in the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as how its eventual closure helped shape some of the University’s most recognizable landmarks, including the iron fence surrounding North Campus and the Arch itself.

History Hour with Historic Athens One Story is a free monthly educational program held at the Lyndon House Arts Center with complimentary lunch from Rashe's Cuisine available on a first come, first serve basis, including vegan options. We’ll see you Tuesday, June 2 at noon!

featuring the Classic City's first skyscraper: the Southern Mutual Insurance Building. Once the largest ferro concrete...
05/31/2026

featuring the Classic City's first skyscraper: the Southern Mutual Insurance Building.

Once the largest ferro concrete building in the south, this building was designed by Atlanta architect Haralson Bleckley and served as the headquarters of the Southern Mutual Insurance Company.

, where we'll be posting historic student life, townie happenings, and old stories from back in the day, right here fro...
05/30/2026

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

Pictured here is Bluebird Cafe, a once-popular vegetarian staple famous for its veggie melt and eclectic menu. First opened in 1975 in the southwest corner of the historic Morton Theatre, the cafe served as a common part-time job for several local musicians, including Kate Person, Fred Schneider and Cindy Wilson of the B-52s. Multiple loyal patrons of Bluebird Cafe even recall Fred Schneider waiting tables in a bikini during some of his shifts!

The cafe eventually moved out of the Morton Theatre to College Avenue, and finally to its best-remembered location at the corner of Clayton and Thomas Streets. Many visited the restaurant for their iconic Powerhouse Eggs, German-style crepes, and their wide selection of loose-leaf teas. The Bluebird Cafe officially closed its doors in 2008 after the construction of the nearby Hilton Garden Inn caused the building's rent to double. Today, the shell of the building still stands at the corner of Clayton and Thomas, serving as a reminder of Athens’ rich history as a global music hub and foodie-friendly hot spot.

What do you miss most from the Bluebird Cafe? Let us know in the comments below!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Historic Athens Announces Plans for Official Athens-Clarke County Juneteenth CelebrationAthens Ju...
05/29/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Historic Athens Announces Plans for Official Athens-Clarke County Juneteenth Celebration

Athens Juneteenth Celebration & Festival by Historic Athens and ACC People & Belonging Announced for June 19, 2026 in Downtown Athens, Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. (May 29, 2026)– Historic Athens has been selected by ACC People & Belonging to organize the annual Athens-Clarke County Juneteenth Celebration & Festival on June 19, 2026. This free event in Downtown Athens organized by Historic Athens is open to the wider community to celebrate the country’s second independence day and honor local culture and traditions with live performances, storytelling, food trucks, vendors, children’s activities, interactive exhibits, and more.

The public is invited to gather at Hot Corner at 10:30 am to create signs and march together from College Square to City Hall where the official Juneteenth program begins at 11:00 am with the raising of the Juneteenth flag followed by a brief ceremony. The celebration then begins in full at 11:30 am, featuring live performances by local artists across a variety of music genres, dance, and spoken word, all reflecting the spirit and resilience of Juneteenth. The festival area includes food vendors, community organizations tabling, exhibits, educational programming, an artisan market, and children’s activities.

Attendees can also enjoy a wide range of family-friendly activities, including interactive exhibits, history education, bounce houses, and face painting. Historic Athens is distributing the Juneteenth Kids Guide at the Athens Juneteenth Celebration, a booklet introducing young readers to the history of Juneteenth and the emancipation of enslaved people in Athens, traditional ways to honor Juneteenth, and space for reflection on what freedom means to them created by the Historic Athens Welcome Center. In addition, the organization is also publishing zines (small booklets, short for magazine) about emancipation in Athens, the Day of Jubilee, as well as contemporary struggles for freedom.

As part of the event, pop-up interpretive signage will be displayed throughout the festival turning Downtown Athens into a museum for a day to highlight important places, individuals, and events in African American history. Signage denoting important protests in Athens history and modern day will be shown as part of the Athens Protest History project by Historic Athens. Through highlighting local examples of protest and the impacts such movements have had on the rights and liberties of all individuals, current and future generations of Athenians will be better informed and able to understand the progress which has been made.

Additional programming includes the last ceremonial signature for the ‘Richardson-Davis Park’ petition, started by Historic Athens in 2025 to name the new downtown green space park, adjacent to the newly renovated Costa building after Alfred Richardson (c. ~1837-1872) and Madison Davis (c. ~1833-1902), the first Black elected officials to represent Athens, Georgia.

Historic Athens is introducing a new Juneteenth tradition to honor individuals whose work, empowerment, and resilience have created a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of others. The Jubilee Award for Humanitarianism recognizes those who embody the spirit of progress, unity, and positive change through servant leadership. Public nominations are open to the public at bit.ly/jubileeaward26 until 5 PM on June 15, 2026.

“Juneteenth gives us the opportunity to honor and celebrate the anniversary of the freedom granted to all Americans,” says Denise Sunta, event organizer. “While Athens observes our own ‘Day of Jubilee’ nearly a month earlier, Juneteenth has become an important national moment to bridge communities through festivities and remembrance. We’re grateful for the opportunity to bring people together in downtown Athens to be part of it.”

Athens Juneteenth Festival & Celebration will be held in downtown Athens on Friday, June 19, 2026 from 10:30 am to 3:00 pm. Forms and nominations for the public are available via the links below:
Food Vendor registration: bit.ly/juneteenthfood26
Retail & Artisan Vendors registration: bit.ly/juneteenthmarket26
Community & Nonprofit Organizations tabling registration: bit.ly/juneteenthtable26
Jubilee Award for Humanitarian nominations: bit.ly/jubileeaward26

For more news and updates, go to historicathens.com, historicathens.com/athens-juneteenth, or follow on social media.

About Historic Athens (501c3): For nearly 60 years, Historic Athens has worked to be the historic preservation education and advocacy group the Classic City deserves through community programming, educational initiatives, direct preservation action, and advocacy. Our mission is to develop community-wide understanding of the value of historic buildings, neighborhoods, and our shared cultural heritage.

Historic Athens Preservation Month Online Auction | Item 13: Caledonia Lounge Watercolor Painting by Jamie CalkinThe Cal...
05/29/2026

Historic Athens Preservation Month Online Auction | Item 13: Caledonia Lounge Watercolor Painting by Jamie Calkin

The Caledonia Lounge opened circa 2000 and became one of the most beloved venues in the Athens music scene, serving as a space where both up-and-comers and established artists could perform. It closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many locals calling its closure the “end of an era.” This watercolor painting by local artist Jamie Calkin helps keep the memory of Caledonia Lounge alive.

This item is available for bidding until May 31 at midnight. Place your bids at bit.ly/spring-auction26!

: Over 145 years ago, one of the first pharmacies in Athens was built on the corner of College Avenue and Clayton Stree...
05/27/2026

: Over 145 years ago, one of the first pharmacies in Athens was built on the corner of College Avenue and Clayton Street!

The drugstore’s founder was Dr. Joseph Jacobs, a Northerner who moved to Athens to apprentice under the renowned Dr. Crawford W. Long. Dr. Jacob’s Pharmaceutical Laboratory in Athens was one of the first retail pharmacies in the nation to provide generic versions of various drugs. He famously traveled the north Georgia countryside in a horse and buggy with his father to sell his medications to farmers throughout the surrounding rural counties.

By 1884, Dr. Jacobs decided to expand outside of Athens into Atlanta where he opened his notable pharmacy located in Five Points. This pharmacy on the corner of Peachtree and Marietta Streets would later become his flagship store, the first of sixteen Jacob’s Pharmacy locations by the time of his death in 1929. His Atlanta pharmacy secured a permanent spot in history when Dr. John Pemberton brought a jug of his newly invented syrup there in May of 1886. It was at Jacobs’ Pharmacy that the syrup was first mixed with carbonated water and sold as the very first version of what later became Coca-Cola!

The first glass of Coca-Cola was sold for five cents at Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, and the rest is history. While Dr. Joseph Jacobs is most known for his involvement in the invention of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, it all started here first in Athens with his tiny drug laboratory back in 1879!

Before the State Botanical Garden on South Milledge, there was the University Botanical Garden, tucked within the reside...
05/26/2026

Before the State Botanical Garden on South Milledge, there was the University Botanical Garden, tucked within the residential Hancock Community along Pope Street.

Join us for June’s History Hour as we explore the story of one of Athens’ most fascinating and often-overlooked historic spaces. Established in 1833 by Dr. Malthus Ward, Professor of Natural History at the University of Georgia, the four-acre garden once stretched across the block bounded by Broad, Pope, Reese, and Finley Streets. Created as both a place of scientific learning and public beauty, the garden quickly gained a national reputation and became one of Athens’ greatest attractions. Together, we’ll look at how the garden reflected changing ideas about education, science, and public life in the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as how its eventual closure helped shape some of the University’s most recognizable landmarks, including the iron fence surrounding North Campus and the Arch itself.

History Hour with Historic Athens One Story is a free monthly educational program held at the Lyndon House Arts Center with complimentary lunch from Rashe's Cuisine available on a first come, first serve basis, including vegan options. We’ll see you Tuesday, June 2 at noon!

Historic Athens Preservation Month Online Auction | Item 12: Al Hester Book Bundle: Enduring Legacy and Athens MemoriesN...
05/26/2026

Historic Athens Preservation Month Online Auction | Item 12: Al Hester Book Bundle: Enduring Legacy and Athens Memories

Now out of print, these books by Dr. Al Hester tell stories of Black life and achievement through interviews and extensive research. Enduring Legacy focuses on Madison Davis and Alfred Richardson, two formerly enslaved men from Clarke County who were elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1868. Athens Memories is a collection of first-person narratives from the Works Progress Administration Federal Writers Project interviews, offering a glimpse at Athens from the late 1800s to the 1930s.

This item is available for bidding until May 31 at midnight. Place your bids at bit.ly/spring-auction26!

: 72 years ago on this day on May 25, 1954, the iconic Iron Horse sculpture in Athens was first built!In 1954, American...
05/25/2026

: 72 years ago on this day on May 25, 1954, the iconic Iron Horse sculpture in Athens was first built!

In 1954, American sculptor and Chicago-based artist Abbot Pattinson was commissioned to create a piece that would be installed on the University of Georgia’s campus. Pattinson was recruited to introduce modern and contemporary art to the South, where it was particularly sparse. Pattinson’s solution to this debacle was to build a 12-foot, 2,000 pound sculpture of a horse and install it on the quad in front of Reed Hall.

The abstract sculpture was immediately met with complaints from students, eventually leading to students vandalizing it not even 24 hours after it was installed. At the time, it was not well-received and was thought to stick out like a sore thumb among UGA’s traditional-style campus. The Iron Horse would go on to be further vandalized, painted over, torn apart, and even set on fire! UGA eventually relocated the sculpture after Dr Lawrence Cowley, a professor from UGA’s Horticulture Department, asked for it to be placed on his farm in Greene County. This section of the Curtis family’s farm, which has since been sold to UGA to become the site of what is now known as the Iron Horse Plant Sciences Farm, is where the sculpture has resided for over 70 years!

Since its relocation to the secluded field in Greene County, the Iron Horse sculpture has become a popular destination for tourists and university students, who come out to see the sculpture as a school tradition.

Today is Memorial Day, where we honor those who have served and sacrificed. Pictured here are Naval Aviation Cadets at t...
05/25/2026

Today is Memorial Day, where we honor those who have served and sacrificed. Pictured here are Naval Aviation Cadets at the pre-flight school in Athens, Georgia. Did you know that between 1942 and 1945, the Navy operated a Pre-Flight School on the University of Georgia campus?

As one of only five such schools in the nation, the program trained approximately 20,000 cadets in the skills needed as combat pilots in the Pacific theater of World War II. The Navy utilized most of the existing campus and built numerous buildings and athletic facilities used by the college in later years. Additional Athens-area sites were also utilized and improvements were made to local streets and Ben Epps Airport. Few physical reminders of this large Naval presence remain.

Address

489 Prince Avenue
Athens, GA
30601

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17063890123

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