Fields Place-Vickery House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fields Place-Vickery House
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The Fields Place-Vickery House, pictured as an academic building for the University of North Georgia.
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 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | W. Main St. and Vickery Dr., Dahlonega, Georgia |
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| Area | 1.4 acres (0.57 ha) |
| Built | c.1860, 1908 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000994 |
| Added to NRHP | December 14, 1978 |
The Fields Place-Vickery House is a historic building in Dahlonega, Georgia. People often call it "the Vickery House." This special house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important place in American history.
Today, the University of North Georgia owns the house. It is home to the university's Georgia Appalachian Studies Center. This fits well with the house's long history. The fireplace and mantel were built around 1860. Most of the house you see today was built between 1890 and 1908.
Contents
What Kind of House Is It?
The Vickery House is built in a style called Folk Victorian. This means it has some fancy Victorian features. But it also keeps a simple, country look. It was designed for a regular family, not a very rich one.
Victorian Features of the House
Some cool Victorian parts of the house include its roof. It has different heights and shapes. The porch posts are turned, like they were shaped on a special machine. The ceilings have pretty beaded designs.
Inside, the lower floor has wainscoting. This is wood paneling on the bottom part of the walls. The upstairs walls are more simple. The house has one bathroom and several bedrooms. These rooms are now used as offices and classrooms.
The kitchen has an old farm sink and original cupboards. The doors have special louvered windows. These help air move through the house to keep it cool. Downstairs, there's a wide hallway. This was common in Victorian homes.
Upstairs, you'll find a big landing and several rooms. One small room holds the stairs to a large attic. The house also has a big front porch, a back porch from the kitchen, and a sunroom. Dr. Elias Benton Vickery added pretty stained glass to the bathroom.
A Look at the House's History
The house was first built in 1860 by John D. Fields. He was the deputy sheriff of Dahlonega. He also went to the Georgia Agricultural College, which is now the University of North Georgia. Back then, people called it the Old Fields House. It was shaped like an "L" and had three rooms. It also had a cellar, a shed porch, and a central hall.
New Owners and Changes
In 1869, a man named Weir Boyd bought the house. He was a gold mine owner and a veteran of the American Civil War. He was also a local politician. He bought the house for $400 at an auction. When he passed away in 1893, his daughter Martha and her husband, B. P. Gaillard, inherited it. They added three more rooms to the back of the house.
Around 1895, Dr. Elias Benton Vickery moved in with his family. He had a wife named Ella and two children, Katherine and Eugene. Dr. Vickery made many changes to the house between 1895 and 1908. He replaced a front room and made the hallway wider. He also added a second story and a bathroom on the first floor.
He removed the old porch and put in a new Victorian one. This porch wrapped around the front and left side of the house. He also added a screen porch to the back, connecting to the kitchen. There's still an old well on this porch. After Dr. Vickery died in 1929, the house was empty for many years.
The House Finds a New Purpose
In 1974, the Vickery family gave the house to the Dahlonega Club. Ella Ray Oakes, who was the club's president, accepted the house. The home became a popular place for schoolchildren to visit during Christmas. Ms. Oakes helped restore the building. She donated the fence around the house and used club money for repairs.
In 2007, the Dahlonega Club gave the house to the University of North Georgia. Since then, it has been the main office for the Georgia Appalachian Studies Center.
