A prime piece of historic real estate in Athens will soon be available for purchase.
The University System of Georgia plans to sell the mansion that serves as the presidential house for the state’s flagship university.
The University of Georgia announced Thursday that the white columned, Greek revival home at 570 Prince Avenue will be sold because of the growing cost to maintain the sprawling house that sits on nearly five acres.
The home, built in the 1850s and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is valued at $5,273,000, according to Athens-Clarke County records.
The University System, which oversees UGA and other Georgia public colleges, acquired the property in 1949 with donated funds. The University System said it has not identified a buyer and that “the listing will go through our usual process for selling property.”
The statement said: “No longer having to provide maintenance, security and support for the property will allow that money to be better spent on other campus needs.”
Proceeds will be used “to support student success initiatives at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels,” UGA said in a news release. The money it saves on operating, maintaining and securing the site will be redirected to enhance campus safety and security, the school said.
Credit: Unknown
Credit: Unknown
UGA President Jere Morehead, who has led the university since 2013 and previously held other administrative and faculty positions there, currently lives in the home, said school spokesman Rod Guajardo, in a Friday email. He said Morehead owns another home in Athens, which he purchased as an investment and as his eventual home, and is preparing it “to serve as his residence.” Assessor records show Morehead purchased that house in 2020.
The Prince Avenue home is noteworthy for its history and grandeur. In its early years, the house was owned by Benjamin H. Hill, a prominent lawmaker, according to information submitted to the National Register.
The paperwork used to nominate the property for the historic designation in the 1970s notes the home’s museum-like status, garden, “magnificent entrance,” ornate stairway, ceiling medallions, marble fireplaces and French and English crystal chandeliers.
Seven UGA presidents have lived in the President’s House over seven decades. It also serves as a venue for gatherings and events, though Guajardo said the site has hosted only two receptions and one dinner over the past year.
“We have already moved most of these types of events to other locations on campus where transportation and parking are more conducive and will continue to do so in the future,” he said in an email.
One reason for the diminished activity is because of recent traffic changes along Prince Avenue. The university said shuttle buses that transported guests to the site are no longer able to park in front of the home.
The university also said that the home’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems need updates that are estimated to cost nearly $2 million. UGA said it spent “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in recent years to maintain the site.
And back in 2010, the university said it would spend more than $1 million to install accessible bathrooms, widen doorways and complete other renovations.
The University System previously sold its chancellor’s residence in Atlanta in 2006, and also sold the presidential homes for Georgia State and Augusta universities.
Georgia Tech’s campus boasts a presidential home, but the school’s president, Ángel Cabrera does not live there, a spokesman said. The site is used to host smaller leadership events, and there’s no plans to sell it, a spokesman said.
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