H. H. Tift Building – UGA 4602 (1922, Category 1). The H. H. Tift Building is located along Research Way to the south of the Old Administration Building. The building is named for the experiment station’s principal founder and benefactor and the City of Tifton’s namesake, Captain H. H. Tift. It was the first major building constructed at the station. The building originally contained labs on the upper floor, offices on the main floor, and mules in the basement. It is not clear how mules might have been accommodated at the basement level.
The H. H. Tift Building is a two-story, rectangular brick structure with a hipped shingle roof designed in a simple, straightforward Beaux-Arts style representative of the period. Wood rafter tails project out over the building’s light-tan brick walls. The first floor level of the building is elevated 6 feet above the ground, creating a raised basement. Prominent exterior steps lead to the central front entrance. The building’s front facade is symmetrical with a slightly projecting central bay. Large wood, one-over one double-hung windows are paired on the front and rear facades. There are no wings or additions to the building. The H. H. Tift Building is one of the most notable architecturally on the campus as a good example of the Beaux-Arts style. It appears individually eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and is assessed as Category 1.
