The Seminary (Lithonia, Georgia) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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The Seminary
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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The Seminary in 2018
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 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
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| Location | 6886 Main Street, Lithonia, Georgia |
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| Built | 1895 |
| Part of | Lithonia Historic District (ID16000639) |
| NRHP reference No. | 78003097 |
| Added to NRHP | November 15, 1978 |
The Seminary is a special old building located at 6886 Main Street in Lithonia, Georgia. It was built way back in 1895 to be a school. But over the years, it has had many different jobs! It was once a hotel, then a family home, and now it's an office building where different businesses work. Because it's so important to history, The Seminary was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on November 15, 1978. This means it's officially recognized as a historic place worth protecting.
A Look Back: The Seminary's Story
The Seminary building was finished in 1895. A man named Benjamin Franklin George gave the land for the school. He wanted to help create a place for children in Lithonia to learn, including his own kids. At that time, Lithonia did not have public schools. The Seminary was one of three schools that were privately owned. Families paid money, called tuition, for their children to attend.
The building was made from strong granite stone. This stone came from local quarries, which are places where stone is dug out of the ground. The town of Lithonia got its name and much of its money from granite at this time. The building has two floors. Its walls are made of very thick granite, about 19 to 24 inches thick! The first floor has tall 12-foot ceilings, and the second floor has even taller 16-foot ceilings.
From School to Hotel
By 1906, Lithonia had started its own public school system. Because of this, The Seminary school closed down. The building was then sold to a man named John Keay Davidson Sr. He was an immigrant from Scotland who had started a quarrying company in Lithonia in 1901.
Mr. Davidson brought in skilled stonemasons from Scotland to work for his company. He changed The Seminary building into a hotel called the Auto Rest Hotel to give them a place to live. During this time, a double veranda was added to the front of the building. A veranda is like a porch or balcony that runs along the outside of a building. The hotel stayed open until 1917.
A Family Home and Beyond
In 1917, the building was sold again, this time to J.H. Malone. He made some big changes to turn it into a private home for his family. He added indoor plumbing, which means pipes for water and bathrooms, and electricity for lights and power. Around this time, a two-story bathroom was added to the back center of the house. Later, in 1962, another bathroom was added to the back north corner. The Malone family lived in the house for many years.
In 2007, the house was sold to Ellen King Stewart. Her mother-in-law was one of the very first students at The Seminary school! Mrs. Stewart had the building fixed up and restored. She turned it into a modern office building with space for different businesses. It is now called the Academy Professional Building.
