Wray-Nicholson House – UGA 751 (1825, Category 2). Built in 1825, the Wray-Nicholson House is an antebellum Greek Revival structure located at 298 Hull Street in one of the oldest neighborhoods associated with Athens. It was built by the university as a dining hall for students. It was later acquired in 1845 by Thomas Wray, a cotton merchant, who made several changes to the building. In 1867, John Nicholson acquired the building, and made further additions, including two-tiered porches. The porches were replaced by the current portico, notable for the six tall Doric columns added from another antebellum house on Prince Avenue, in 1916. Nicholson’s daughter, Lucy, was responsible for the extensive gardens planted around the house, with some plant material brought from Japan by Commodore Matthew Perry.
The house was later acquired by a private religious college in 1964; their plans to raze the structure led to a community effort to save it, and a $4.4 million restoration. The Wray-Nicholson House was acquired by the University in 2000 to serve as the headquarters for the Alumni Association.
The Wray-Nicholson House is set back from the street with a circular driveway in front and garden to the south side. The building has a two-story symmetrical rectangular massing over a raised brick basement. A majestic two-story wood portico spans the front providing the character of a stately Southern mansion. Tall brick chimneys rise from the standing seam metal roof. The exterior is clad in wood bevel siding, and a rear wing extends from the back of the building. Given its size, wood detailing, and complex shapes, the building is a maintenance challenge but is in good condition. It has a high degree of historic integrity and appears to contribute to a National Register-eligible historic district. It is assessed as a Category 2 resource.
Landscape Resources
Stone wall and fence (Category 2). A low, 18-inch-high mortared stone wall edges the Wray-Nicholson property along Waddell and Hull Streets. A wrought iron fence is set inside the property from the wall. The stone wall retains integrity and appears to contribute to a National Register-eligible historic district. It is assessed as a Category 2 resource.
Driveway (date undetermined, Category 2). The Wray-Nicholson House is approached via a crushed aggregate surfaced driveway that enters the property from South Hull Street. It forms a tear-drop-shaped turnaround in front of the house. The drive passes through the low stone wall and iron fence that edge the street. The date of origin of the driveway is not documented in archival material reviewed for this study. The driveway is edged by bollards and tree and shrub plantings. It retains integrity and appears to contribute to a National Register- eligible historic district. It is assessed as a Category 2 resource.
Gardens and paths (date undetermined, category undetermined). Behind and to the south of the house there are gardens. In the rear, the yard includes a walk that leads from the front, around the north side, and to the rear entrance of the house, as well as a break in the picket fence to provide access to the adjacent parking area. The rear yard is characterized by a broad expanse of turf edged by shade and ornamental flowering trees and flowering and evergreen shrubs. The garden to the south of the house is located below the grade of the front yard. A path leads to steps that provide access to the lower garden area. A system of parallel and geometric paths edge several planting beds. The garden also features mature trees and shrub plantings. The date of origin of the gardens and paths is not documented in archival material reviewed for this study.
Picket fence (date undetermined, category undetermined). The side and rear yards of the Wray-Nicholson House are edged by a white picket fence. The fence helps to screen views of a large parking lot located to the north of the house. The date of origin of the fence is not documented in archival material reviewed for this study.
Bulldog sculpture (date undetermined, category 4). A painted metal sculpture of the Georgia bulldog stands on the lawn in front of the house. The date of origin of the sculpture is not documented in archival material reviewed for this study.
