ExploreSouthernHistory.com - Old Governor's Mansion, Georgia
ExploreSouthernHistory.com - Old Governor's Mansion, Georgia
Old Governor's Mansion
A stunning example of Greek revival architecture,
the historic Old Governor's Mansion in Milledgeville
was witness to key moments in Georgia history.
Old Governor's Mansion
The mansion was built in the
1830s and was used by the
Governors of Georgia until the
capital moved to Atlanta.
Home of Ten Governors
The Old Governor's Mansion
was designed by architect
Charles B. Cluskey and built
in 1836-1839.
Sherman's March to the Sea
General WIlliam Tecumseh
Sherman briefly occupied the
mansion during his March to
the Sea.
Old Governor's Mansion - Milledgeville, Georgia
Landmark of the Antebellum Era
Architectural Landmark
The mansion is considered
one of the finest examples of
Greek revival architecture in
the United States.
Copyright 2011 by Dale Cox
All rights reserved.
Considered one of the finest examples of
Greek revival architecture in America, the
historic Old Governor's Mansion in
Milledgeville was home to ten Georgia
governors.

Designed by Irish architect Charles B.
Cluskey, the three story house was built in
1836-1839 and was first occupied by
Governor George R. GIlmer in 1839. It is of
stucco over brick construction and looks
much today as it did when it was first
completed.

Over the years, the Old Governor's Mansion
has been an eyewitness to some of the most
significant events in American history.

Governor Howell Cobb, for example, lived in
the house in 1851-1853, and had been a key
figure in the Missouri Compromise of 1850
negotiations that may have helped prevent
civil war for more than a decade. He later
became a Confederate general and led
troops at the Battle of Columbus, the last
major land battle of the Civil War.

Perhaps the best known occupant of the
mansion, however, was Governor Joseph E.
Brown, Georgia's Civil War governor. Brown
lived in the Old Governor's Mansion from
1857-1865, with a brief interruption caused
by General William Tecuseh Sherman's
occupation mansion during his March to the
Sea.

Brown led Georgia through the turbulent
years leading up to and during the War
Between the States. Often at odds with
Confederate President Jefferson Davis over
the military policy of the Confederacy, he
maintained a large force of state troops and
militia in Georgia, but was unable to stop the
devastation inflicted on the state during
Sherman's March to the Sea. He held office
longer than any other governor in Georgia
history.

Milledgeville was safely remote from much of
the fighting of the Civil War until November of
1864 when the city was occupied by Union
troops led by Sherman. Brown and other
state leaders evacuated the city ahead of the
oncoming Federal army and Confederate
soldiers did not attempt to defend the capital
city, sparing its residents the horrors of battle.

Sherman briefly occupied the Old Governor's
Mansion and Union soldiers camped in the
yards. They quickly moved on, however,
continuing their devastating March to the Sea.

Governor Brown and other officials returned
to the ransacked city after the Union army
departed, but the soon ended and swept
them from power. Reconstruction era
politicians voted to relocate the capital to
Atlanta in 1868.
After the government relocated to Atlanta, the
mansion was converted for use as barracks
for the cadets of the Middle Georgia Military
and Agricultural College, today's Georgia
Military College. It served this purpose from
1879-1891 when it was remodeled to serve
as a home for the president of what is now
Georgia College and State University.

The Old Governor's Mansion served as a
home for the college's presidents until 1987.
It was designated a National Historic
Landmark in 1973 and underwent restoration
in the early 2000s.

The mansion is now a museum that is open
to the public Tuesday through Saturday from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday from 2 p.m.
to 4 p.m. Tours begin on the hour. The cost to
visit is $10 for adults, $7 for senior citizens
and $2 for students. Children under 6 are
admitted free.

The historic Old Governor's Mansion is
located at 120 South Clarke Street in
Milledgeville, Georgia. Please click here to
visit the mansion's outstanding website.
Custom Search