The Arch is the symbolic entrance to the University of Georgia. It separates the city of Athens from the campus of the university. The Arch is modeled after the Georgia State seal, which was adopted in 1799, and was erected in 1858. It’s three columnns stand for Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation.
The Athens Confederate Monument was erected in 1871 due to the efforts of the Ladies' Memorial Association and the monetary contributions of the Athens and Clarke County citizens. Its inscriptions honor the Confederate dead, its erection was followed by procession and celebration, and its stature and history reflect the greater sentiments of the culture in which it was first instated. The monument currently stands at the corner of College Avenue and Broad Street.
The Commerce Building is an historic building located in downtown Athens, Georgia. The building was constructed in 1908 as the headquarters of the Southern Mutual Insurance Company. There have been a number of businesses that have called the building home, including the Costa Family Soda Fountain. The building is now owned by a local dermatologist and has been converted into apartments and commercial space.
This may be the site of the first building on the south side of East Clayton Street. Originally the site of a soda fountain in 1989, this current building was added after 1908 but before 1913.
The Georgia Theatre is a music venue in downtown Athens Georgia, located at 215 North Lumpkin Street. They describe themselves as a “great place to see a show, have a sandwich, see a view, meet friends, and get your Athens on” on their Facebook page. The venue hosts a variety of musical acts from many different genres and is a huge part of Athens’ music scene.
This is the site of the former headquarters of the Athens Ku Klux Klan #5. Active during the 1920s and '30s, the Athens KKK drew a membership of hundreds and broad support from Athens' white community. Along with the nation-wide "Invisible Empire" of the Klan, the Athens chapter promoted anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic, anti-Semitic, and anti-feminist views through rallies, political activity, and vigilantism. The Klan maintained its headquarters at what was then 133 1/2 Clayton Street during the late 1920s and 1930s. The original building is no longer standing.
Located at the intersection of Washington and Hull streets, “Hot Corner” has been an important professional, social, and commercial hub for African-American residents since the mid-20th century. It is centered around the Morton Building, a building complex which houses the prominent Morton Theatre and which has historically housed many Black-owned businesses. Hot Corner has been integral in promoting African-American entrepreneurship in the downtown area. During the 1950s, 60s and 70s especially, Blacks owned or managed the majority of professional practices and family businesses there. Two such establishments, Wilson’s Styling Shop and The Manhattan Cafe, are still in business today. In addition to its economic significance, this district served as a vibrant meeting place for the Black community of Athens and Northeast Georgia for decades.
One of the first and possibly the oldest surviving African American-operated theater in the United States, Morton Theater opened in 1910. The theater is named after Monroe Bowers "Pink" Morton, a wealthy African American who contributed greatly to the community of Athens. For many decades, the Morton building was the anchor of the Black entertainment district in Athens--a district that was known as the "Hot Corner" among its patrons and its critics within the Black community of Athens. Mr. Morton owned thirty other buildings and this theater was the largest of all of them.
The Ben Epps statue was erected in 2011 to commemorate and honor the achievements of Georgia's first aviator, Ben Epps. He was born an Oconee County native and opened his first shop in Athens. The statue is life-sized and can be found easily at the intersection of East Washington Street and North Lumpkin Street. It sits right across the street from Ben Epps' first shop, which is no longer operational.
From 1907 to his death in 1937, this building housed the garage where Ben Epps designed and built the first aircraft to fly in the state of Georgia. This shop was also used by Epps for his vehicle repair and electrical contracting businesses. The building is now the site of The Woodford, an Athens bar.
Now home to the Athens Police Department, the Costa Ice Cream Building was constructed in the early twentieth century by Joseph Costa and family. The Costa family constructed this impressive structure as their factory and headquarters after the rise in popularity of the family’s famous Costa ice cream which they began selling in 1908. The factory produced ice cream for nearly two decades and a visit to this or other retail outlets was a fond memory for Athens residents and students of the University of Georgia long after the factory closed in 1939. The Costa family was highly regarded in Athens and the southeast for their entrepreneurship, and their establishment was credited as “one of the largest and most up-to-date ice cream plants” in the region. By 1939, the Costa Ice Cream Building was closed, but the “magic” Dean William Tate speaks of when referring to the factory and its products lives on in the architectural evidence, photographs, and memories.
Located in downtown Athens, the Athens-Clarke County City Hall building is easily identified by its iconic weather vane and clock tower, both of which underwent heavy renovation in 2006. Outside the building is a statue of the ‘Spirit of Athens’ named “Torchlighter,” who stands as a memento of both UGA’s involvement in the 1996 Olympics and as a representation of the city as a whole. Additionally, a dedication to Spanish-American War veterans lies outside City Hall, in remembrance of the Spanish American war veterans at the nineteenth convention to honor the ‘Camps and Auxiliaries of the Department of Georgia.’
Built in 1863, the Double-Barreled Cannon is the only one of its kind in Georgia, and the country. It was designed to be a game changing weapon during the Civil War. Unfortunately, the cannon never worked properly and the double-barreled cannon was retired before it ever saw battle. It has resided in Athens for well over a century.
Designed by artist Jean Westmacott, the Athena Statue stands outside the entrance to the Classic Center and commemorates the 1996 Olympic Games. Athena is carved from Italian marble; over one shoulder she holds a cloak and on her other side rests a shield detailed with a circular pattern of olive leaves. The statue rests on a pedestal of topaz blue granite and inscribed with an ancient Athenian oath. Today, the Athena Statue is an important symbol of the community.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
Get a QR Code for this tour
This short walk starts at the statue of Athena and includes a dozen landmarks and historic buildings in the downtown area before concluding at the arch that serves as the symbolic gateway between the town of Athens and the University of Georgia. The walking tour was made possible by faculty and students in the Department of History at the University of Georgia.
