Meigs Hall is named in honor of Josiah Meigs who was the first president of the University of Georgia from 1801-1810. Meigs in his tenure designed the first curriculum for Physics for UGA. He was also noted for envisioning and laying out a plan for the landscape of North Campus, the oldest part of the University of Georgia. Meigs then served as U. Surveyor General and commissioner of Land under President James Madison. As the Commissioner of Land, Meigs was responsible for setting up daily weather observations at stations around the country under his control. Meigs also later would go to become a member and President of the prominent Columbian Institute. He later became a professor and founding trustee of George Washington University in Washington D.C. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C.

Josiah Meigs is remembered in many various ways around Athens. The University of Georgia annually awards a teaching honor called the Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professorship. Meigs Street in Athens is named after Josiah Meigs. Meigs Hall was built in 1905. Over the years, the Biology, Psychology, and Germanic and Slavic Languages Department have all been housed in Meigs Hall. Today, it is the home of the Institute of Higher Learning.

The Bishop House is named after Thomas Bishop who designed the house in 1837. Thomas Bishop was a farmer and merchant in Athens in the mid 1800’s. He ran a grocery store in town and was noted for his impressive landscaping skills around the house. The Bishop House was one of the first in Athens with running water and also at one time included a carriage house, smokehouse, and vegetable gardens. The Bishop House was designed in the Greek Revival style and was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1968. Bishop House was put on the National Register because it is noted as a fine example of Greek Revival architecture and for its connection to Thomas Bishop a prominent 19th century figure in Athens. University of Georgia bought Bishop House in 1942 and over the years has been use as studio spaces and offices for the Art Department, the main home of the Classics Department, and a residence hall for faculty and students. Today Bishop House houses UGA College of Environment & Design faculty offices and their financial office staff.