College Hill (Augusta, Georgia)

College Hill, also known as George Walton House, Harper House, or Walton-Harper House, is a historic house at 2216 Wrightsboro Road in Augusta, Georgia. It was built in 1795, and was the home George Walton, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, from then until his death in 1804. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1971.[2][3] It is a private residence, and is not open to the public.[3]

College Hill
1934 HABS photograph
Location2216 Wrightsboro Rd., Augusta, Georgia
Coordinates33.46678°N 82.01322°W / 33.46678; -82.01322
Area6 acres (2.4 ha)
Built1795
NRHP reference No.71000287
Significant dates
Added to NRHPNovember 11, 1971[1]
Designated NHLNovember 11, 1971[2]

Description and history

The Walton House is located on the south side of Wrightsboro Road, about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of downtown Augusta. It is set on a secluded 6-acre (2.4 ha) estate, all that is left of the 100 acres (40 ha) it was originally associated with. It is a two-story wood frame structure, with a gabled roof, clapboard siding, and a pair of brick chimneys near the ends. The main facade, seven bays wide, is adorned with a two-story veranda, the sections each consisting of a segmented arch supported by slender square columns. Entrances at each level are located at the center, with flanking sidelight windows and pilasters, and fanlight windows above.[3]

In 1787, the state of Georgia granted George Walton 100 acres outside Augusta for his services to the state. Walton had "College Hill" built on this land in 1795, moving there from Meadow Garden. The house has been in the hands of his descendants (named Harper) since then. Walton served the state in a variety of important capacities: trained as a lawyer, he served in the Continental Congress (1776–81) and in the Georgia militia, in whose service he was captured by the British during the 1778 Capture of Savannah. Exchanged and released, he was soon afterward elected Governor of Georgia, an office he held from November 1779 to January 1780. He also served as the state's Chief Justice, and in a second term as Governor 1789-80. He died at College Hill in 1804.[3]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. "College Hill". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2009-01-31. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
  3. Charles W. Snell (May 21, 1971). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: College Hill (George Walton House) (Harper House) / College Hill (Walton-Harper House)" (pdf). National Park Service. Cite journal requires |journal= (help) and Accompanying two photos, exterior, from 1971 (32 KB)
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