Historic Homes

From the earliest records of architecture in ancient Rome, a building should be durable, useful, and beautiful. These attributes have distinguished good design for at least two thousand years. Many structures in Athens very well illustrate the interplay and relative importance of these three attributes.

If you have read about the early history of Athens you might wonder, given the circumstances that faced early settlers, who were focused on survival and making a living, how they could have been concerned about the third attribute (beauty). Yet, even the very first home in Athens, the Fanning House, illustrates a simple eloquence. Similarly, the Vermillion home place started as a log cabin but the family built around the original structure a two-story frame house that was durable, useful, and beautiful. Another pioneer home, the French House just outside of Athens, borrowed Greek Revival architecture in the design of beautiful cornices, corbels and decorative features.

The older homes in Athens We Knew were built in the late 19th and early 20th century. Many of these, like the Holroyd homes, were not only durable and useful, but strikingly beautiful, illustrating stunning architectural detail influenced by the Victorian era. Many of these homes have been kept in good repair or restored. Unfortunately others have been neglected and some were destroyed.