Bishop House
Why it's listed
Bishop House is a brick Greek Revival building on Jackson Street at the University of Georgia in Athens. From the street it looks like a cottage, but the sloping site allows a two-and-a-half-story structure with a full daylight basement. A one-story porch with a small pediment and twin Doric columns, built to Parthenon proportions, leads to the main entrance. Red brick walls, six-over-six windows with whitewashed stone lintels, and a steep gable roof complete the exterior. Inside, a central hall on the basement and main floors serves two rooms on each side, each with a fireplace, and the attic holds two more rooms. Thomas Bishop, an Englishman who came from Massachusetts and opened a grocery in 1835, bought the land from the university trustees and built the house in 1837. His descendants kept it for more than a century until the University purchased it in 1942. It is considered one of the earliest Greek Revival buildings in the area and now houses the Department of Classics.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the earliest Greek Revival buildings in the Athens area. Its classical porch, with twin Doric columns built to Parthenon proportions, has helped define the campus scene since the college's earliest days. It was held by Bishop's descendants for over a century before the University bought it in 1942.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 72000375, listed March 16, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jackson St., University of Georgia campus, Athens |
|---|---|
| County | Clarke County |
| Listed | March 16, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000375 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1837) |
| Architect / builder | Thomas Bishop (built the house in 1837) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in good condition; it houses the offices of the University's Department of Classics. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 33.95594, -83.37294 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 72000375.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q113133975
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.