Completed in 1839, the Old Governor's Mansion is one of the finest examples of High Greek Revival architecture in the nation. Designed by noted architect Charles Clusky, an Irish immigrant, and built by Timothy Porter of Farmington, Connecticut, the Mansion looms over Milledgeville with its stately columns and imposing façade. Serving as the residence for Georgia's chief executives for over thirty years, the Mansion's history encompasses the antebellum, Civil War, and early Reconstruction phases of the state's history. Such noted state leaders as George Crawford, Howell Cobb, and Joseph E. Brown resided in the building and used it as a stage for speeches and also to introduce guests of national standing. During the Civil War, the Mansion was claimed as a “prize” in the “March to the Sea,” when General William T. Sherman headquartered in the building on November 22, 1864. Following the war, Georgia's seat of government was relocated to Atlanta, and the Mansion was abandoned. Given over to Georgia Normal & Industrial College (currently known as Georgia College & State University) in 1889, the Mansion served as the founding building of the institution and is the campus's most treasured structure.
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