More than two years after the Junior League of Athens ended its lease of the Taylor-Grady House, a new tenant will be moving into the historic building. The Athens-Clarke County Commission approved the lease during its Sept. 5 meeting.
The nonprofit Landmark Commons at Taylor-Grady House, formed by caterer Lee Epting and others, will preserve the 1844 house as both a house museum and a community center. The Taylor-Grady House was built in the mid-1840s and bought in 1863 by the father of newspaper owner and journalist Henry W. Grady, namesake of the journalism school at the University of Georgia. The City of Athens bought the house in 1966, with the Junior League as its steward. The Junior League did not renew its lease when the commission raised the rent, and the house has been vacant since July 2022.
So named because of Taylor-Grady’s status as the only official national historic landmark in Athens, Landmark Commons is dedicated to serving the city’s many and various nonprofits, charging them special rates to hold meetings, training seminars, events and fundraisers of all sizes in the house. It will also host weddings, banquets, art openings and conferences.
The group’s board is hoping to use the first floor to display the African-American past of the house through historic interpretations, artifacts and displays, but the county hasn’t yet agreed. According to a board press release, “Until the ground floor is available, Landmark Commons will work with local historians and librarians to expand what is known about the enslaved and free men who contributed to the history of Athens and Taylor-Grady House.” County officials currently plan to use the first floor for government offices.
The board also plans to restore the original dovecote kitchen, outbuildings and summer dining room, and promote the Taylor-Grady House as an interactive experience for school groups, tours and community events.
There will be a reception in the house on Sept. 17, following a 4 p.m. panel discussion featuring students who integrated Clarke County public schools in the 1960s at CCSD’s central office. Both events are free and open to the public.
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