Dearing, Albin P., House
Also known as: Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority House
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Why it's listed
Built around 1856-57 on South Milledge Avenue in Athens, Georgia, this two-story red-brick house is surrounded on three sides by a peristyle of twelve fluted Greek Doric columns. Interior ceilings in the downstairs rooms reach fourteen feet, and the doorways stand almost ten feet high. Albin Pasteur Dearing built it largely with an inheritance from his father, William Dearing, who made his fortune in Athens through an early textile mill and the push for the Georgia Railroad. The nomination describes the house as a full Greek Revival temple form and the high point of that style in Athens, valued above all for its monumental scale. The Dearing family lived there until 1938, when a sorority bought it. A dormitory wing was added at the rear, out of view from the street, and the original stair and one mantel remain. The house is reported to be in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a perfect example of the full Greek Revival temple form and the height of that style in Athens. It is also historically significant as the home of Albin Dearing, heir to one of the city's wealthiest families, whose fortune came from his father William's textile mill and railroad ventures. The house is presented as a monument to the antebellum South.
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 79000707, listed May 8, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 338 S. Milledge Ave., Athens |
|---|---|
| County | Clarke County |
| Listed | May 8, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000707 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1856-57 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition and occupied; in use as a sorority house with a rear dormitory wing added. |
| Acreage | 1.4 |
| Within district | Dearing Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 33.95186, -83.38755 (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 79000707.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134286736
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.