Governor Wilson Lumpkin House (Rock House) – UGA 1012 (1844, Category 1). The Lumpkin House was constructed during an era when South Campus was farmland. Completed in 1844, the house was the home of Wilson Lumpkin, the governor who was instrumental in removal of the Cherokees from Georgia in the 1830s. The house and several acres of land were donated to the University in 1907, with restrictions as to changes that could be made to the house.
The house was individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. As noted in the nomination,
Lumpkin House, protected, has continued to stand while it has been surrounded by the University's Science Center and other buildings. Used in the past as a dormitory, classrooms, a branch library, and a computer center, it is now the headquarters of the Institute of Ecology, whose members refer to it as the “Rock House.” It is an architectural reflection of a notable Georgian, Indian Commissioner, Congressman and Governor (1831–1835). Greek Revival architecture was favored in Athens when Wilson Lumpkin, who was Governor of Georgia (1831–1835), decided to build a home resembling the old millhouse at Cedar Shoals which was one of the first buildings in Athens. Lumpkin built his house on a hill to the south of Athens and the University, which afforded an excellent view of both. He called this hill, Cedar Hill… Lumpkin built the house of stone collected from the surrounding property and cut and dressed on the site.”
Lumpkin House is a two-story native stone structure with 2-foot-thick walls at the base. It has been used for various purposes by the University over the years, including as offices for the Cooperative Extension Service of the College of Agriculture. Its setting has been altered by the addition of the nearby Science Center. The house retains integrity and is assessed as a Category 1 resource.
