About Georgia's Old Governor's Mansion
Georgia's Old Governor's Mansion is a restored historic house museum on the campus of Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville. Completed in 1839, the imposing High Greek Revival residence housed eight Georgia governors and their families while Milledgeville served as the state capital, making it an important setting for the political and social life of nineteenth-century Georgia.
The mansion’s story spans the antebellum period, slavery, the Civil War, and early Reconstruction. During General William T. Sherman’s 1864 March to the Sea, Union forces occupied Milledgeville and the mansion served as Sherman’s headquarters. After Georgia moved its capital to Atlanta, the building eventually became part of Georgia College. A major restoration completed in 2005 returned the house to an appearance based on the circa-1851 administration of Governor Howell Cobb.
Public visits are offered as guided tours led by student docents. The interpretation addresses the governors and their families as well as the enslaved and free people whose labor shaped life in the residence, allowing visitors to explore the building’s architecture, furnishings, political role, and complex social history. Its National Historic Landmark status, careful restoration, and direct connection to Georgia’s former capital make it one of Milledgeville’s most significant historic sites.
