The Ware-Lyndon House is the sole survivor of the Lickskillet neighborhood

The Ware-Lyndon House at 211 Hoyt Street is the only surviving structure from the Lickskillet neighborhood of Athens. Once one of the most fashionable districts of its time, the area's history is preserved in this two-story Italianate manor. The house was built circa 1850 for Edward R. Ware, a prominent physician who practiced in Athens during the antebellum, Civil War, and post-Civil War periods.

While Ware focused on his medical practice, his wife was described by William Hope Hull as "full of life, loving the company of old and young, rich and poor, hospitable to lavishness." She was known to be "never too sick to go to a 'party,' and never too tired to give one," making the home one of the centers of social life in Athens. In 1880, Ware sold the property to Edward S. Lyndon, a druggist who owned Lyndon Mill.

The city of Athens purchased the home in 1939, and a major restoration took place in 1960. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and has served as a community arts center since 1973. It opened as the Lyndon House Arts Center in May 1999, featuring a 33,000 sq. ft. addition built to preserve the Italianate design of the original structure.

Today, the original house displays period furnishings and is open for self-guided tours. Visitors can see the architectural details of the manor that once hosted many parties, maintaining its legacy as a hub for the community's arts and culture.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons