The University of Georgia's 1856 President's House

The President's House, also known as the Benjamin H. Hill House or the Grant-Hill-White-Bradshaw House, was erected in 1856 in Athens, Georgia. John Thomas Grant constructed the house, which eventually passed to Benjamin Harvey Hill in 1876. Hill served in both the House of Representatives and the United States Senate. The property was later purchased in July 1883 by James White, the founder of the First National Bank of Athens.

W. F. Bradshaw inherited the house upon James White's death in 1883. The Bradley Foundation of Columbus, Georgia, later acquired the property from Bradshaw's estate. The Georgia Board of Regents acquired the property in the early 1940s. In 1949, the Bradley Foundation presented the house to the University of Georgia to serve as a residence for its president.

The University of Georgia restored the house and its grounds. Cooper, Bond, and Cooper were the architects in charge of remodeling the house, while Hubert B. Owens, A.S.L.A, designed the rear gardens. The front yard was refurbished in 1965. During its time with the university, the facility also served as an alumni building and a location for special programs.

Today, the house remains one of the oldest buildings in Athens, Georgia. It was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since March 16, 1972. While Michael F. Adams was the first University of Georgia President to relocate his residence off campus, the university announced plans to sell the residence in 2023.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikimedia Commons