T. R. R. Cobb House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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T. R. R. Cobb House
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T. R. R. Cobb House in 1940
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 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | 175 Hill Street, Athens, Georgia |
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| Built | 1834 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Octagon Mode |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000579 |
| Added to NRHP | June 30, 1975 |
The T. R. R. Cobb House is a very old and special house built in 1842. It's known for its unique octagon shape. This historic home was first located on Prince Avenue in Athens, Georgia. Because of its importance, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 30, 1975.
Contents
A Historic Home's Journey
The Cobb Family and Early Days
The oldest part of the T. R. R. Cobb House was built around 1834. It was a "Plantation Plain" style home, which was common back then. In 1844, the house was given as a gift to Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb and his new wife, Marion Lumpkin. Marion's father, Joseph Henry Lumpkin, who was the first Chief Justice of Georgia's Supreme Court, gave them the house.
Thomas Cobb made many changes to the house. By 1852, it had grown into its famous octagon shape. It also had a grand two-story front porch. Many people lived and worked at the Cobb House, helping to maintain it and serve the family. These individuals, who were enslaved, lived in separate buildings behind the main house. Thomas Cobb passed away in 1862. His wife, Marion, lived in the house until 1873 when she sold it.
New Owners and New Uses
After the Cobb family, the house was used for many different things until 1962. It was rented out to people, used as a house for a college fraternity, and even became a boarding house where people could rent rooms.
In 1962, the Archdiocese of Atlanta bought the house. They used it as offices and living space for St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Moving the House
In the 1980s, the church planned to tear down the house. But in 1984, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association stepped in. They bought the house to save it. In 1985, they moved the entire house to Stone Mountain Park.
However, the house sat at Stone Mountain Park for almost twenty years. There wasn't enough money to fix it up.
Returning Home and Restoration
In 2004, the Watson-Brown Foundation bought the house. They decided to bring it back to Athens. In the spring of 2005, the house made its journey back home.
The Watson-Brown Foundation then worked hard to restore the house. They made it look just like it did in 1850. In 2008, the Georgia Trust gave them an award for their excellent restoration work.
The House Today
The T. R. R. Cobb House was removed from the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 when it moved. But after its restoration and return, it was put back on the list on July 23, 2013.
Today, the house is a house museum. You can visit it at 175 Hill Street in the Cobbham Historic District. The same foundation that restored the Cobb House also runs other historic house museums in Georgia. These include Hickory Hill in Thomson and the May Patterson Goodrum House in Atlanta.
