Orna Villa
Also known as: The Alexander Means House
Why it's listed
Orna Villa is a two-story weatherboarded house on North Emory Street in Oxford, Georgia, near the old Emory College campus. It began as a one-story plantation house built before 1820 by Virginian Richard K. Dearing. Around 1821-22 it was acquired by Dr. Alexander Means, a Methodist minister, physician, professor and founder and later president of Emory College. Means enlarged it into a two-story house, and a Greek portico with Doric columns and pedimented door and window framing was probably added in the 1850s, when several Emory buildings were built in a similar style. The exact dates of the renovations remain uncertain. Means is credited with exhibiting an incandescent electric light in 1857, and he named the house for the many birds found there. Said to be the oldest house in Oxford, it served as a dormitory for college students. It is listed for its Greek Revival architecture and its link to Means and the early town and college.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to Dr. Alexander Means, a Methodist minister, physician, professor and founder and president of Emory College, and to the early history of Oxford and the college. It is also an example of Greek Revival architecture built and renovated in several stages. It is said to be the oldest house in Oxford.
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 73000636, listed January 29, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1008 N. Emory St., Oxford |
|---|---|
| County | Newton County |
| Listed | January 29, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000636 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (c. 1820) |
| Architect / builder | Richard K. Dearing (built original one-story house before 1820); Dr. Alexander Means (renovated); designer of the later work unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival; plantation plain with Greek details |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent and altered, on its original site; occupied and used as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 1.8 |
| Within district | Oxford Historic District |
| Coordinates | 33.62356, -83.86720 (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 73000636.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7103505
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.