Franklin House (Athens, Georgia) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Franklin House
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_1936_Historic_American_Buildings_Survey.jpg)
Franklin House in 1936
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 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | 464-480 E Broad Street, Athens, Georgia |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1845 |
| Architectural style | Early Commercial, Greek Revival, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000667 |
| Added to NRHP | December 11, 1974 |
The Franklin House is a historic brick building in Athens, Georgia. It has three stories and was built between 1845 and 1860. This building has had many uses over the years.
It started as a store on the ground floor. The upper floors were a hotel before the American Civil War. After the war, it became a hardware store for over 100 years. In the 1970s, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list helps protect important historic places. Later, in the 1980s, the building was fixed up. Today, it has offices and apartments.
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Building Style and Features
The Franklin House shows off two cool old building styles. These are called Federal and Greek Revival. The roof is shaped like a triangle, which is called a gable roof.
Long ago, some doors on the second floor opened to a balcony. This balcony had stairs that went down to the street. In 1886, a new front made of cast-iron was added to the first floor.
Early Days of Franklin House
The land where the Franklin House stands once belonged to the University of Georgia. A man named William L. Mitchell bought it. He was famous for owning hotels, including one called the Mitchell House.
When the Franklin House first opened, the ground floor was for shops. Later, the Franklin Hotel opened on the upper floors. A silversmith, Asaph K. Childs, had a shop there. Other businesses also used the building. For example, R.L. Wood & Co. offered daguerreotype services. These were early forms of photography. A dentist named O. Munsen also had an office there.
The building was later sold to John W. Nicholson for $17,000. In 1871, a fire broke out on the second and third floors. Firefighters quickly put out the fire. They saved the building from more damage.
Saving the Franklin House
The hotel part of the building closed in 1865. After that, a company called Childs-Nickerson took over. This company later became the Athens Hardware Company. They stayed in the building until 1972.
By the 1970s, the Franklin House was in bad shape. There were plans to tear it down. But in 1973, a group called the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation stepped in. They wanted to save the building. They raised $75,000 to buy it. Even Governor Jimmy Carter helped with a grant!
To make the building strong again, they got another grant. This money came from the National Park Service. In 1977, a local businessman named Hugh Fowler bought the building. He started to fix it up. Later, another company finished the renovation. They turned the building into offices and apartments. The University of Georgia even leases some of the office space now.
In 1983, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation gave an award. They honored the Franklin House for its "outstanding restoration." This means it was beautifully fixed up and given a new use.
Historic Importance
The Franklin House is a very important historic building. It was studied by the Historic American Buildings Survey. This group documents important buildings in the United States.
On December 11, 1974, the Franklin House was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of places that are important to American history. Later, on March 6, 1990, it was also named a local Historic Landmark. This means it's important to the history of Athens, Georgia.
