Old Governor's Mansion
Milledgeville, Ga.
Lord, Aeck & Sargent Architecture

Sensitive restoration brings Greek Revival mansion up to code

Courtesy of Georgia College and State University

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The Old Governor’s Mansion, as its name suggests, was home to eight of Georgia’s governors between 1839 and 1868. Originally designed by Charles Cluskey, it is among the nation’s finest examples of Greek Revival architecture and is listed as a historic landmark. It now serves as both a museum interpreting the life of Georgia’s governors and as an event venue for Georgia College & State University, which purchased the building in 1889.

The mansion had suffered considerable physical deterioration since its last renovation in the 1960s. A team headed by Lord, Aeck & Sargent recently sought to restore the building to its 1850s appearance. The effort began with a period of investigation to understand the original configuration of the house and assess the condition of its extant materials. Following this phase, the team prepared construction documents for both the rehabilitation and contextual additions. The new construction accommodates contemporary needs such as catering, display and education areas, as well as provides space for new restrooms.

The team also sought to improve the mansion’s structural and life safety systems. In collaboration with Georgia’s fire marshal, it developed unique solutions that would have a minimal impact on the character of restored spaces: for example, they created self-illuminated exit signs that can be hung during public functions and then later taken down.

Another challenge for the team was installing a new HVAC system without impacting the mansion’s character. Inside the walls of the building’s main rotunda, workers used small triangular voids as conduits for vertical duct runs. Next they separated the large ducts into smaller ones that fit between floor joists; and finally, where the original plaster cornice was missing, the team installed a replica cornice containing diffuser slots.

Formal name of Project:
Old Governor's Mansion

Location:
Milledgeville, Ga.

Gross square footage:
Mansion Restoration: 17,040 sf
Additions: 2,300 sf

Total construction cost:
$10 million

Owner:
Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia
Georgia College and State University
Contacts: Dave Groseclose
Jim Turner

Architect:
Lord, Aeck & Sargent Architecture
1201 Peachtree Street, Suite 300
Atlanta, Georgia 30361
877-929-1400 (phone)
877-929-1401 (fax)
www.lordaecksargent.com