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.
