Athens is a city shaped by activism, governance, and civic engagement. The Athens Civic Trail is a self-guided journey through historic sites that highlight past struggles and victories in shaping our community. Designed for young voters and changemakers, this tour connects history to the choices you make today. As part of Civic Season, it encourages reflection and action. Follow the stops in order or explore at your own pace to see how Athens’ past influences its future.
Civic Trail Self-Guided Tour
The Church-Waddel-Brumby House
(Historic Athens Welcome Center, 280 E Dougherty St)
As the oldest surviving residence in Athens, the Church-Waddel-Brumby House has long been a hub of influence. Built in 1820 for Moses Waddel, president of the University of Georgia, the house played a crucial role in shaping early education and governance in Athens. Waddel was a renowned educator whose students included John C. Calhoun, William H. Crawford, and other future leaders who shaped the nation. His emphasis on rigorous education helped establish Athens as an intellectual center in the South. Later, Anne Brumby, a civic leader and advocate for women's education, resided in the house, further cementing its role in local history. Today, as home to the Historic Athens Welcome Center, the house continues its legacy as a site of engagement, connecting residents and visitors to the city's past and inspiring future civic participation.
As a part of Civic Season from Juneteenth to July 4, the house features A House of Influence, a seasonal exhibit highlighting its role in shaping Athens’ civic landscape.
Civic Action: Visit the Church-Waddel-Brumby House Museum, open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM with free admission, to explore its history and learn how past civic leaders shaped Athens.
2. County Courthouse
(325 E Washington St)
The County Courthouse has long been a center of power, where civic decisions and legal battles have shaped the rights and responsibilities of Athens citizens. Built in 1914, the courthouse has hosted pivotal cases that reflect the changing landscape of justice, civil rights, and local governance. From voting rights disputes to landmark trials, the courthouse embodies the role of the judiciary in upholding democracy and ensuring equal protection under the law. Its neoclassical design, with towering columns and a grand façade, stands as a reminder of the legal system’s influence on daily life. Today, the courthouse remains an active site where residents serve on juries, engage in civic duty, and witness the ongoing evolution of justice in Athens.
Civic Action: Visit the Athens-Clarke County Courts website to learn about the various courts, including Superior, State, Magistrate, and Probate Courts, and their specific functions.
"Clarke County's New Courthouse"
Original courthouse construction
January 1959
The handles feature 1913, the year construction began, as a detail in the door handle metalwork.
Rearview, pre-expansion
3. Athens City Hall
(301 College Ave)
Built in 1904 during a period of rapid growth, Athens City Hall was designed to symbolize civic identity. Architect L.F. Goodrich and builder J.W. Barnett replaced the smaller town hall with a structure fit for a growing city. Constructed from Lexington granite, buff brick, and oolitic limestone, it originally housed an armory, city offices, and an auditorium for 300 people. Its clock tower, crowned with a copper dome and an 8-foot eagle, became an iconic feature, though the eagle proved too heavy to function as a weathervane. The clock’s bell once served as a fire alarm, but its booming sound drew crowds that hindered emergency response.
Today, City Hall remains the seat of Athens-Clarke County government. The second-floor courtroom now hosts Mayor and Commission meetings, where policies are debated and budgets are set. The building has witnessed public protests and civic activism, reinforcing its role as both a place of governance and a stage for civic engagement. In the early 2000s, local craftspeople restored the clock tower and repaired the eagle, which had been left precariously hanging by a rusted strut and riddled with bullet holes from a 1960s pigeon control effort.
Civic Action: Find out who your commissioner is and attend a Mayor & Commission meeting. Find your commissioner. View the meeting calendar.
4. Athens Republique
(343 N Hull St)
In the strip of buildings on Hull Street where Brown’s Barber Shop, Wilson’s Styling Shop and World Famous are now located was once the home to The Athens Republique, an African American newspaper published from 1919 to 1927, the building was a hub for news, advocacy, and political engagement. Founded by World War I veteran Julian Lucasse Brown, the paper reported on racial progress and setbacks, denounced lynchings, and opposed the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. The newspaper’s motto, "Devoted to the Religious, the Educational and the Industrial Development of the Colored Race," reflected its deep connection to the Jeruel Baptist Association and its commitment to community uplift.
At a time when mainstream media ignored or misrepresented Black voices, The Athens Republique provided a platform for civic participation, covering issues such as voter rights, education, and economic empowerment. Its investigative reporting and editorials challenged injustices, making it a force for accountability and social change. After its closure in 1927, Athens was without an African American newspaper until The Athens Voice was founded in 1975.
The building is part of a broader legacy of Black journalism in America. From Freedom’s Journal, the first Black-owned newspaper in the U.S., to modern independent newsrooms, Black journalists have played a critical role in advocating for civil rights and documenting history from perspectives often overlooked. While The Athens Republique is no longer in print, its legacy lives on in the fight for media representation and the importance of an informed citizenry.
Civic Action: Support Black-owned media and independent journalism by subscribing to or donating to outlets that amplify underrepresented voices in your community.
Among the surviving pages of the Athens Republique is this extensive account of the Athens Emancipation Day celebration of Jan. 5, 1922.
5. Morton Building
(195 W Washington St)
The Morton Building was a key stop on the Chitlin’ Circuit, a network of Black-owned performance venues that provided opportunities for African American artists during segregation. Built in 1910 by Monroe Bowers “Pink” Morton, a self-made businessman, newspaper publisher, and political leader, the building housed the Morton Theatre, one of the first Black-owned vaudeville theaters in the country. Morton, who was born to an enslaved mother and a white father, became one of the most successful Black entrepreneurs in Georgia. He was a delegate to the 1896 Republican National Convention and was later appointed U.S. Postmaster of Athens, making him one of the few Black postmasters in the South during Reconstruction.
The Morton Theatre hosted legendary performers such as Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, and Louis Armstrong, bringing world-class entertainment to Athens' Black community at a time when they were excluded from white-owned venues. Beyond entertainment, the Morton Building played a vital role in civic life, housing offices for Black professionals, including doctors, dentists, and Georgia’s first Black female physician, Dr. Ida Mae Johnson. The building also included Athens’ first Black-owned pharmacy and provided a space for community organizing and political engagement. Morton also published The Progressive Era, a Black newspaper advocating for civil rights and economic empowerment.
The Morton Theatre remained a cultural hub until 1954 when it closed due to costly fire code updates. In 1987, Athens-Clarke County voters approved SPLOST funding for its restoration, ensuring its preservation as a historic landmark. Today, the theater continues its legacy by hosting performances, civic events, and cultural programming, keeping the spirit of the Chitlin’ Circuit alive for new generations.
Civic Action: Attend a performance at the Morton Theatre to support the preservation of historic Black cultural spaces and celebrate local arts.
6. The UGA Arch
(Intersection of Broad St and College Ave)
The UGA Arch stands as one of the most recognizable symbols of Athens and the University of Georgia. Modeled after the Georgia state seal, the Arch was installed in the 1850s at the entrance to North Campus, marking the boundary between the university and the city. Originally seen as a gateway to higher education, the Arch has since become a site of activism, civic engagement, and student advocacy. Over the decades, it has served as the backdrop for protests, marches, and movements advocating for civil rights, educational access, and student rights.
A longstanding campus tradition holds that students should not walk under the Arch until they have earned their degree, reinforcing the idea that education is a pathway to greater civic responsibility. However, its role extends far beyond graduation ceremonies. Throughout history, students and citizens alike have gathered at the Arch to demand change, from the desegregation of UGA in 1961 to ongoing calls for social justice and fair governance.
Civic Action: Use your voice. Engage in civic life by attending a public demonstration, contacting your elected representatives, or registering to vote. Find your voter registration status and take the next step in civic engagement.
Pro-Palestinian protesters chant to a UGA staffer as he puts safety cones by the UGA Arch as they rally at UGA campus in Athens following arrests on Monday, April 29, 2024. (Miguel Martinez / AJC)
7. Linnentown Lane
(Begins at intersection of S Finley St and Baxter St)
Linnentown was a thriving Black neighborhood in Athens that was erased in the 1960s through an urban renewal project led by the University of Georgia and the city government. Through the use of eminent domain, approximately fifty Black families were forcibly removed from their homes to make way for student dormitories, including Russell Hall, Creswell Hall, and Brumby Hall. This displacement not only uprooted an entire community but also resulted in the loss of generational wealth. Studies estimate that the undervaluation of Linnentown properties and the forced relocation of families to lower-value areas has cost former residents more than $5 million in wealth.
As part of ongoing efforts to recognize and memorialize Linnentown, a portion of Finley Street was officially renamed Linnentown Lane in 2023. The renaming was the result of years of activism by former residents and the Athens Justice and Memory Project, ensuring that the history of the community would not be forgotten. While the University of Georgia has blocked efforts to create a physical memorial on the former site, the street renaming stands as a step toward historical recognition.
Civic Action: Learn more about the Athens Justice and Memory Project and find ways to support efforts for historical recognition and reparative justice. Read Giving Voice to Linnentown: A Memoir by Hattie Thomas Whitehead to hear the firsthand account of a former resident.