A House of Influence

The Civic Legacy of the Church-Waddel-Brumby House

Civic Season is the time between Juneteenth and Independence Day focusing on engaging youth in civic participation and historical reflection. It was started by “Made By Us,” a coalition of museums, historic sites, and civic organizations with the goal of connecting history to contemporary civic engagement and encourage active citizenship.

To participate in Civic Season, Historic Athens Welcome Center has made a series of self-guided exhibits exploring the themes of civic leadership, education, and women’s influence in governance and community activism.

Explore the House to experience the special exhibit and learn about the history of the home, the legacy of its inhabitance, and the community of Athens shaped the city we have today.

Dr. Waddel’s Legacy: Shaping the South

Before grand universities lined the Southern landscape, the roots of education in the region took hold in a humble log schoolhouse in Willington, South Carolina, under the guidance of one man: Dr. Moses Waddel (1770–1840). Revered as one of the most influential educators of his time, Waddel shaped a generation of leaders whose impact reached from rural pulpits to the highest offices in the United States. Governor George Gilmer called him “the most useful and successful teacher in the Southern country,” while his most renowned pupil, John C. Calhoun, described him as “the father of classical education in the upper country of South Carolina and Georgia.”

At the heart of Waddel’s educational philosophy was the belief that schooling should cultivate both intellect and character. His curriculum focused on classical literature, rhetoric, and moral philosophy, delivered with rigorous discipline and high expectations. His methods were not limited to academics alone. Waddel introduced a pioneering system of student government, allowing boys to govern themselves and learn leadership through responsibility. Rather than fostering rivalry, he encouraged students to motivate one another, aiming to build a culture where personal growth came from shared achievement and mutual encouragement. As Calhoun noted, Waddel was especially gifted in “exciting emulation amongst them, and in obtaining the good will of all except the worthless.”

While best known for his legendary Willington Academy, Waddel also played a transformative role in higher education. In 1819, he was appointed president of Franklin College in Athens, Georgia, an institution on the brink of collapse. Under his leadership, Franklin College, now the University of Georgia, emerged from disarray to become a thriving center of classical learning. Waddel brought order, academic rigor, and moral guidance to a school that had struggled with poor enrollment and minuscule number of faculty members. At its worst, there were 7 students and 3 faculty. Through his reforms, he laid the foundation for what would become one of the South’s premier public universities. His tenure marked a turning point in the college’s history, proving that his talents extended far beyond the log schoolhouse.

The legacy of Waddel’s teachings lives on through the remarkable lives of his students. John C. Calhoun, who served as U.S. Vice President, Senator, and intellectual architect of Southern federalism, credited Waddel’s school with laying the foundation for his success. William H. Crawford, who began his education at Waddel’s Carmel Academy, rose to become Secretary of War and Secretary of the Treasury, helping to stabilize post-war U.S. finances. George McDuffie, another pupil, became Governor of South Carolina and a powerful Congressional leader, guiding national fiscal policy as chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Others, like Hugh S. Legaré, took Waddel’s classical teachings into the realms of literature and diplomacy. Legaré, a founder of The Southern Review and U.S. Attorney General, was known for his advocacy for Unionism during the Nullification Crisis. A. B. Longstreet, author of Georgia Scenes, preserved Southern dialect and culture through fiction and went on to serve as president at Emory College, the University of Mississippi, and South Carolina College. Waddel also wrote a personal recommendation for William L. Mitchell, a Georgian who became a lawyer, state legislator, university professor, and railroad superintendent. Mitchell, like so many of Waddel’s students, embodied a life of public service and civic leadership.

The breadth of Waddel’s influence is extraordinary. Five Georgia counties are named after his former students. His alumni filled faculty positions in colleges from North Carolina to Louisiana. His students served with distinction in the military, led state governments, and helped shape the moral and intellectual framework of the South. “Search the army and navy rolls,” the eulogy declared, “Dr. Waddel’s pupils are invariably distinguished where they have had an opportunity of distinguishing themselves, and where they have not, invariably respected.”

From the rough-hewn walls of his Willington schoolhouse to the president’s office at Franklin College, his ideals traveled far, carried by students who built the civic, educational, and moral foundations of a growing nation. His classroom was modest, but his legacy was vast. As John C. Calhoun so aptly concluded, “It is in his character of a teacher, especially, that he will long be remembered as a benefactor of the country.”

Dr. Waddle’s students went on to become:

  • 1 Vice President

  • 3 Secretaries of State

  • 3 Secretaries of War

  • 1 Assistant Secretary of War

  • 1 U.S. Attorney General

  • Ministers to France, Spain, and Russia

  • 1 Supreme Court Justice

  • 11 Governors

  • 7 U.S. Senators

  • 32 Members of the House of Representatives

  • 32 Judges

  • 8 College Presidents

  • 17 Newspaper Editors and Authors

  • 5 Members of the Confederate Congress

  • 2 Bishops

  • 3 Brigadier Generals

Barry Russell, Board President of Willington on the Way, discusses the legacy of Moses Waddel.

Photo of the Church-Waddel-Brumby House being moved.
Courtesy of the Hargrett Special Collections Library.

The Story of Saving the Church-Waddel-Brumby House

The Church-Waddel-Brumby House, constructed in the 1820s, is the oldest remaining residence in Athens, Georgia, and a rare surviving example of early 19th-century architecture in the region. Its survival was not a matter of chance but the result of passionate community action that helped spark a broader preservation movement in Athens. The story of the Brumby House’s rescue and restoration stands as a defining chapter in the city’s efforts to protect its historical and architectural legacy—much of which was carefully chronicled by John Waters, a University of Georgia professor of  Landscape Architecture and Historic Preservation for 27 years and a founding member of Historic Athens.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Athens—like many American cities—underwent rapid change through federal urban renewal initiatives. While these projects brought modern development, they also led to the destruction of many historically significant buildings. Grand Greek Revival and Victorian mansions, sorority houses, and entire blocks of historic neighborhoods were demolished in the name of progress. Among the buildings threatened was the Church-Waddel-Brumby House, which stood in the path of Urban Renewal Project #51, which focused on the areas around College Avenue, including the Lickskillet neighborhood. As one of the city’s oldest structures, its loss would have been a profound blow to the community’s heritage.

In response to such threats, local citizens began organizing. In October 1959, two key nonprofit groups were formed. The Athens Historical Society (AHS) was created to document and share the history of Athens and Clarke County through publications, home tours, and heritage initiatives. Simultaneously, the Society for the Preservation of Old Athens (SPOA) became the city’s first organization dedicated to architectural preservation. SPOA successfully advocated for the protection of green space near The Varsity and raised awareness about endangered landmarks like the Taylor-Grady House and Lucy Cobb Institute. Though SPOA later struggled with funding and became inactive, its advocacy set the stage for future preservation efforts.

By the mid-1960s, concern turned toward the Church-Waddel-Brumby House. Recognizing the urgent need to save this historic home, three determined women—Ethel Chaffin, Ruth Downes, and Jeannette Lund—founded the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation (now Historic Athens) in 1967. Their first mission was to prevent the demolition of the Brumby House. Early proposals included moving the structure behind the Taylor-Grady House, which had recently been the focus of another preservation effort. However, after consideration and logistical challenges, the decision was made to relocate the Brumby House just one block away, to its current location.

That fall, during a University of Georgia home football game, the house was carefully lifted onto a flatbed truck and moved. Though the chimneys couldn’t be relocated and the house sat on concrete blocks with temporary plastic coverings for several years, the physical structure had been saved. This remarkable achievement galvanized further community support and kept preservation momentum alive.

Fundraising efforts began in earnest during the summer of 1967, with a goal of raising $30,000 through donations and appeal letters to Athens families. While progress was slow, momentum built over time. In 1971, Congressman Robert Stephens helped secure a $37,500 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development—the first time urban renewal funds were used for historic preservation in the Southeast. Ann Davis of the local Urban Renewal Office also identified $6,000 in local funding through site clearance credits, helping to fulfill the grant’s required match. With resources finally in place, restoration moved forward, culminating in a public dedication on April 27, 1972.

The successful preservation of the Church-Waddel-Brumby House marked a turning point in Athens’ historic preservation movement. In 1975, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1988 it received designation as a Historic Landmark by the City of Athens. Today, it serves as the Historic Athens Welcome Center, symbolizing the enduring power of civic engagement and local pride.

Much of what is known about this landmark and the preservation movement that saved it was documented by John Waters,a founding member of Historic Athens. Waters’ efforts to record this history have ensured that the Church-Waddel-Brumby House’s story—and the broader story of preservation in Athens—continues to inspire future generations.

The Church-Waddel-Brumby House is more than just a historic home. It represents the resilience of a community and the value of preserving the past to inform the future. Its story is a powerful reminder that with commitment, collaboration, and vision, history can be saved—even when the odds seem impossible.

Home-Built History

Change doesn’t just come from formal civic buildings or public forums, real change began in the intimate spaces of people’s homes. From drawing rooms and parlors to garden paths and libraries, these settings became fertile ground for organizing, planning, and preserving the city’s identity. Across generations, Athenians have used their homes not only for hospitality, but civic change.alled “The Never Never Land of Poisonous Plants.” This coloring book taught young readers how to identify and avoid hazardous flora—a creative example of how domestic and civic care went hand-in-hand. From backyards to classrooms, the women of the Ladies’ Gardening Club reshaped the landscape of Athens, both literally and figuratively.

The E.K Lumpkin House, where the first meeting of the Ladies’ Gardening club was held. Photograph by Jacob Richardson

The Sledge Cobb Spalding House, where many meetings of the Gardening Club took place. Photographed by Jacob Richardson

Rooted in Hospitality: The Ladies’ Gardening Club of Athens

In 1891, a quiet but groundbreaking moment in American history happened in the home of Mrs. E.K. Lumpkin. A group of women gathered in her home to form what would become the first garden club in the United States—right here in Athens, Georgia. They did more than discuss botany; they were cultivating civic responsibility, environmental consciousness, and public engagement during a time when few women had access to formal political platforms.

The club hosted regular meetings in members’ homes, but their work grew quickly. By 1932 there were 88 gardening clubs across America, and Athens had become a central hub for the movement, hosting that year’s annual convention of The Garden Club of Georgia. At the event, the club presented a ceremonial gavel and block crafted from wood of the Tree That Owns Itself. This artifact, engraved with the names of garden club presidents, remains a testament to their lasting influence.

The gardening clubs also embraced public education. In the 1970s, in partnership with the Georgia State Health Department, the Garden Club of Georgia distributed an illustrated children's book called “The Never Never Land of Poisonous Plants.” This coloring book taught young readers how to identify and avoid hazardous flora—a creative example of how domestic and civic care went hand-in-hand. From backyards to classrooms, the women of the Ladies’ Gardening Club reshaped the landscape of Athens, both literally and figuratively.

An Athens Banner newspaper from October 4, 1892 describes a meeting of the Ladies Garden Club and announces a Fall Exhibition of plants.

Mapping Progress: The Camak House

The Camak House in Athens became an unlikely launchpad for one of Georgia’s most ambitious infrastructure projects. In the early 1830s, James Camak—a mathematician, editor, and entrepreneur—began meeting with fellow businessmen in his home to address a growing need: connecting Georgia’s interior to the broader Southeast through rail. Out of these living room discussions the charter was signed for the Georgia Railroad Company, which Camak would lead as its first president.

It was within the walls of the Camak House that the company accepted its charter in 1833 and began laying plans to link Augusta to Georgia’s interior. By 1835, their charter was amended to include banking powers, and the company became the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company, with the authority to issue paper currency and support large-scale economic development. By 1845, the railroad reached the small town of Marthasville, soon to be renamed Atlanta. The main line was completed in 1847 and connected Augusta to Atlanta with a branch connected to Athens.

But the vision didn’t stop there. The company’s banking division helped finance the Augusta Canal system, which spurred a manufacturing boom and brought water-powered industry to the region. These decisions—crafted in the quiet rooms of a private home—set the foundation for modern transportation, commerce, and finance in Georgia. The Camak House reminds us that the infrastructure that shaped Athens’ growth was first imagined not in boardrooms, but in parlors.

The Camak House from the Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, GA,30-ATH,3-1

The Hull Mansion: Birthplace of the Athens Historical Society

On February 3, 1899, twenty Athenians gathered in the antebellum home of Augustus Longstreet Hull, one of the city’s most respected historians, to found the Athens Historical Society. At that time, Hull had already authored several foundational texts, including Sketches of Athens, Georgia and Annals of Athens, Georgia, 1801–1901. His living room served not just as a gathering place but as a launching pad for the preservation of the city’s collective memory.

Early meetings involved members,many of them educators, lawyers, and civic leaders, presenting original research on local history. Their conversations, held in the Hull family parlor, led to the collection and publication of vital historical records and narratives. Although this first iteration of the Society faded after its inaugural year, the seeds planted in Hull’s home endured.

In 1959, the Society was revived by a new generation of scholars, librarians, and residents, again meeting in homes and university spaces to renew their mission. Today, the Athens Historical Society continues to preserve the city’s diverse past through lectures, archival projects, and community outreach. Its origins in a private home reflect the enduring belief that history doesn’t belong to institutions alone, it lives wherever people gather to remember.

Photo from Annals of Athens digitized by the Library of Congress

Judia Jackson Harris and the Power of Community Spaces

Judia Jackson Harris, an educator and social reformer in Athens, turned her home into a cornerstone of learning, culture, and cooperation in her community. She used not only her home but the homes of many in her community into spaces of learning and building a better future.

Born in 1870, Harris was one of the few Black women in Georgia to obtain a formal higher education during the Jim Crow era. After graduating from Atlanta University in 1894, she returned to Clarke County and dedicated her life to education. In 1903, she established the Model and Training School for Black children, a school that would later be named after her. But Harris’s commitment to education extended far beyond the classroom. When the school’s main building was destroyed by fire in 1926, she resumed teaching from her own home, transforming it into a dynamic space for instruction and inspiration. Her living room became a classroom, and her yard a stage for music, art, and community gatherings.

In 1900, she initiated the Mutual Benefit Association (also known as The Corn Club)—groups that encouraged Black families to pool their resources to buy land, which focused on building a model school, housing, and a community. This club not only provided economic opportunity but also helped solidify community bonds, with Harris’s home serving as a key meeting place for organizing and planning. Starting with 41 acres of land in 1900 the community grew to 2000 acres after a few decades.

On her share of the land, she started the Model and Training school in 1903. The school curriculum included traditional academic subjects such as music, theater, and literature, alongside practical skills like blacksmithing, sewing, and manual training, and also provided instruction in teacher training. The school also had a yearly pageant often held at the Morton Theater.

The community faced a lot of hardship. White supremacists targeted the community with intense scare tactics and violence leading to many fleeing as part of the “Great Migration.” In response, she convinced several prominent white Athenians to publish writings denouncing the anti-Black violence. There were other problems when the school’s main building burned down due to a defective flue. Classes continued in Judia Jackson Harris’s home while funds were raised to build a new schoolhouse.  

Today, her story is preserved through the work of Dr. Jane McPherson and Complex Cloth, and her legacy lives on in the Judia Jackson Harris Elementary School in Athens, which stands as a living tribute to her vision and dedication. Through her work, Harris created a self-sustaining model of community development rooted in education, culture, and cooperation—all started within the walls of her home. Judia Jackson Harris’s home was not just a place of residence—it was a schoolhouse, a town hall, and a cultural venue, embodying the idea that a home can be the foundation for progress, pride, and possibility.

Meeting of the Cotton Club at the Model and Training School

Photo from the Complex Cloth project by Dr. Jane McPherson

A Legacy of Living Rooms

Each of these homes tells a story of how civic life in Athens began not with fanfare or formal proclamations, but with thoughtful conversation and bold ideas. These spaces—whether filled with railroad maps, garden journals, or historic manuscripts—were civic centers of Athens. They remind us that transformative change is often seeded in small rooms and nurtured through community. In Athens, history has always had a home.

Molding a City: Women Shaping the Athens Community

Long before they held public office or cast ballots, the women of Athens, Georgia were already shaping their communities, through education, advocacy, environmental stewardship, and social reform. Working within and beyond traditional roles, they organized clubs, led schools, and formed movements that quietly transformed the cultural and civic landscape of the South. Whether building orphanages, founding schools, or campaigning for peace, their efforts left a legacy of public service, intellectual leadership, and community change that continues to inspire.

Agents of Change: The Athens Woman’s Club and Progressive Reform

In the early 20th century, a powerful force for civic transformation emerged in Georgia—not in government buildings, but through the organized efforts of women determined to improve their communities. The Athens Woman’s Club, founded in 1899, helped advance public education, public health, labor reform, and social welfare. The club mostly brought about these changes through funding causes they were passionate about.

Southern textile mills exploited child labor to fuel industrial growth. Clubwomen across Georgia, including those in Athens, spoke out forcefully against the practice. At the 1902 meeting of the Georgia Federation of Women’s Clubs, Athens club founder Mary Ann Lipscomb delivered a stark report on mill children’s poor literacy and working conditions.

When political advocacy stalled, clubwomen turned to direct action. They helped fund free kindergartens for children in East and West Athens mill districts, offering young children early education—and a refuge from factory floors. By 1907, both schools had been incorporated into the city system.

Athens clubwomen also championed rural education. In 1912, they began a campaign to establish a school in Mountain City. After five years of fundraising—shared equally with local residents—the Ella F. White Memorial School opened in 1917 with over 100 students.

Their work helped launch even more ambitious efforts. Under Lipscomb’s leadership, the Georgia Federation opened the Tallulah Falls Industrial Training School in 1909, providing co educational vocational training in a remote mountain region. Within five years, it was serving nearly 90 students—evidence of strong statewide demand.

Through partnerships with the American Red Cross, Raoul Foundation, and state health authorities, the club supported tuberculosis prevention, water purification, and anti-mosquito campaigns. Their efforts extended to the University of Georgia, where they helped fund and furnish the Crawford W. Long Infirmary in 1913.

Most Athens clubwomen had studied at institutions like the Lucy Cobb Institute or the State Normal School, and they worked to ensure future generations of women had similar opportunities. From the club’s earliest years, they awarded annual scholarships and student loans to local women pursuing secondary or post-secondary education.

By 1917, the Georgia Federation, with support from local clubs like Athens, had funded higher education for 125 young women across the state.

A newspaper headline detailing Martha Bass Holsey’s call for aid from The Digital Library of Georgia.

Martha Bass Holsey

In 1907, Martha Bass Holsey, a dressmaker, upholsterer, seamstress, housekeeper, and nurse in Athens, approached the Athens Woman’s Club for support in establishing a daycare and orphanage to serve African American children. She also raised funds by putting her call for aid in the newspaper. She located a house to serve as the home, secured a matron to care for the children, and worked with both the club and local community leaders to bring the vision to life. Once opened, the home received ongoing support from Black families in Athens, who contributed food, funds, and labor.

Thanks to the Digital Library of Georgia’s extensive archive of digitized Sanborn maps, the former site of the orphanage and daycare has been located in the Reese Street Historic District. The Home once stood near what is now the Athens Masonic Association, formerly Athens High and Industrial School—the first Black public high school in Georgia. Just a few blocks away stood the Knox Institute, a Black school opened by the Freedmen’s Bureau shortly after the Civil War. While Bass Holsey’s Home, like the Knox Institute, no longer stands, its story is a powerful reminder of the neighborhood’s role as a center of early Black institution-building in Athens.

Work has been done to preserve this story by Digital Library of Georgia, Dr. Sidonia Serafini, Dr. Jane McPherson, and Complex Cloth.

Voices for Peace and Progress: Jeannette Rankin and the Georgia Peace Society

Jeannette Rankin, elected in 1916 as the first woman to serve in the United States Congress, brought her legacy of pacifism and progressive reform to Athens in the 1920s. Her opposition to both World War I and World War II drew national attention, but it was her long-term commitment to women’s rights, labor protections, and peace that defined her work.

After moving to Athens in 1924, Rankin began hosting study groups focused on nonviolence, foreign policy, and social reform. By 1928, she and artist-activist Lucy Stanton had transformed those sessions into the Georgia Peace Society, a formal organization dedicated to public education and anti-militarist advocacy.

These gatherings created a forum for women to debate ideas, read policy papers, and challenge dominant narratives about war and justice. Rankin’s presence in Athens connected local activism to national and international causes, illustrating how civic engagement could begin with a few committed voices in a single room.

Portrait of Jeanette Rankin by Sharon Sprung from the US House of Representatives Archives

Portrait of Anne Brumby by Julian Lamar

Educating the Next Generation: Anne Brumby 

Born into a legacy of education and civic service in Athens, Anne Wallis Brumby left a profound mark on the landscape of women’s education in the South. The granddaughter of one of the University of Georgia’s earliest graduates and trustees, Anne Brumby carried her family’s commitment to scholarship into a new era—one in which women were beginning to claim their place in higher education.

As Associate Principal of the Lucy Cobb Institute, a prominent finishing school for young women, Brumby led a bold transformation of the school’s curriculum. She mandated the study of mathematics and Latin as graduation requirements—signaling a shift from traditional finishing-school instruction to rigorous academic preparation.

Perhaps most significantly, she ensured that a diploma from Lucy Cobb would be accepted in place of the University of Georgia’s entrance exam, once women were allowed to enroll. This laid the groundwork for smoother access to higher education for the next generation of women in Athens.

Anne Brumby herself pursued advanced education with determination. After receiving private instruction from University of Georgia professors—at a time when women were still excluded from enrollment—she eventually enrolled at the university and earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees. She continued her studies at institutions such as Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Tennessee, and traveled extensively through Europe to deepen her academic and cultural knowledge.

Later, Anne Brumby became the second Dean of Women at the University of Georgia, where she also served as an Associate Professor of French. Her teaching went far beyond language instruction—students remembered her for imparting lifelong values: discipline, duty, kindness, and the pursuit of excellence.

The Civic Legacy of Athens’ Women

From education and environmental health to peace advocacy and cultural preservation, the women of Athens transformed their communities by stepping into leadership roles—often long before society expected or allowed it. They turned clubs into platforms for reform, gardens into classrooms, and parlors into sites of strategic action. Their work laid the foundation for a more inclusive and engaged civic life in Georgia and beyond. This is their story—rooted in vision, cultivated with care, and growing still.