City of Oxford, Georgia

A Self-Guided Driving or Walking Tour

The town, named Oxford in honor of John and Charles Wesley’s alma mater in England, was chartered in 1839.  The town was designed by Edward Lloyd Thomas, a Methodist minister and surveyor.  Its 125 lots were offered on a 999 year lease with the provision that “no intoxicating liquors shall be sold nor any game of hazard be allowed on the lots under penalty of forfeiture.”  These lots were later sold for private ownership.  The original streets were all named for notable Methodists.  More than twenty 19^th century buildings and sites related to Methodism are still standing and can be seen on this tour.  Although commercialism was discouraged, old Oxford did have several small business enterprises to accommodate the townspeople.  The first Coca-Cola sold outside of Atlanta was in one of Oxford’s general stores.  A mule drawn trolley (the old trolley barn was at Wesley and Fletcher Streets) provided public transportation between Oxford and its neighbor, the City of Covington.  It is impossible to be in the small town of Oxford and not learn a little of Georgia’s Methodist history.  The entire town, including Oxford College, was designated a Shrine of the United Methodist Church in 1972, the first town in the country to be so designated. 

1.      The Henderson Store—U.S. Post Office/McGiboney Building

1001 Emory Street, c. 1885.  This stone structure was originally built as a combination general store and post office, a not uncommon practice in that era.  It has recently been renovated into an upstairs private residence and business shops downstairs.

2.      The Yarbrough Oak

W. Clark Street. Rev. John Yarbrough, Bishop Haygood’s father-in-law, began a tradition of devotion to this magnificent old white oak tree.  In 1929, the commissioners of Oxford deeded the tree to itself.

3.      The Dearing/Atchison House

104 W. Clark Street, c. 1880.  In 1990 this older cottage was extensively remodeled.

4.      The Harris/Williams/Adams House

903 Asbury Street, c. 1850.  Architectural evidence points to this house as being a mid-19^th century structure.  Corra Harris (1869-1935), author of “A Circuit Rider’s Wife” on which the movie “I’d Climb the Highest Mountain ” was based, lived in this house during the 1890’s.

5.      The Ellis House

808 Emory Street, c. 1900.  Turn of the century Victorian with a later addition in 1957.

6.      Allen Memorial United Methodist Church

803 Whatcoat Street, c. 1910.  A Greek revival style church that was named for Young J. Allen, the first Methodist missionary to China.  It was built, and is still owned, by the College and serves both the community and college for regular Methodist worship.

7.      The Stephens/Forney House

102 Pierce Street, c. 1880.  A two-story southern farmhouse that has had remodeling and additions since the 1970’s.  The extensive flower gardens throughout the property feature several fish ponds.

8.  The Bonnell/Cowan/Turner House

712 Emory Street, c. 1900.  Originally a turn of the century dwelling that underwent extensive remodeling several decades ago.

9.  The Mabry/Dickey/Izen House

704 Emory Street, c. 1900.  A Federal style house that was formerly a private residence, but now includes several apartments within the structure.

10.  The Ficquets/Milligan House

410 Haygood Street, c. 1910.  This dwelling served as an ATO fraternity house for Emory College.

11.  The Turner/Budd/Phillips House

201 Stone Street, c. 1909.  This stone home was built by Emory College professor, E.K. Turner whose wife, an artist, designed it.  The current owner was one of many students and faculty members who had boarded in this house during Mrs. (Mother) Budd’s ownership.

12.  Oxford College of Emory University

In 1836 the Georgia Methodist Conference founded Emory College, named in honor of Bishop John Emory.  Early in 1837, 1,452 acres of land were purchased with 330 acres being set aside for the college town, which was the first collegiate community of its kind in American Methodism.  Originally the college provided dormitory housing for its students, but quickly found that these dorms were “facilities of mischief”, and the dorms were closed in 1859.  The students then boarded in private homes, helping halls, and fraternity houses until Haygood Dormitory opened in 1912.  The college closed from 1861-1866 as all its students left to fight for the Confederacy.  During the Battle of Atlanta, the college buildings were used for hospitals.  In 1866, the college reopened with 20 students and 3 faculty members.  Emory College was moved to Atlanta in 1919 to become the College of Arts and Sciences of Emory University.  However, the historical ties were not broken as the old Emory College lives on as Oxford College of Emory University, a two year undergraduate division.

A detailed brochure of the Oxford College campus is available at the Oxford City Hall and the Oxford College Student Center.

13.  “Soldier’s Cemetery” c. 1864

Oxford College campus.  Located 150 yards beyond the Williams Gymnasium at the College, Soldier’s Cemetery is an unexpected reminder of Oxford’s participation in the Civil War.  The entire area is untouched, and at the end of the path is a clearing dominated by a granite shaft marking the cemetery.  The central marker bears only the words “Our Soldiers”.  The campus literary society buildings, as well as “Old Church”, served as hospitals where both Confederate and Union soldiers were cared for.  Only the Confederate dead are buried here.

14.  The Cobb House, “Cobb’s Cottage”

808 Wesley Street, c. 1900.  A turn of the century cottage featuring clapboard exterior.  The porch floor was once a loading dock at the Porterdale Mill.

15.  The Haygood/Wearing House,  “The Haygood House”

905 Wesley Street, c. 1894.  This Greek revival house was built by Atticus G. Haygood, eighth president of Emory College and later bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

16.  The Starr/Park/Wallace House

1001 Wesley Street, c. 1915.  Originally a one-story cottage to which the dormered seconed story was added in 1982.

17.  The Paine/McCanless House

1003 Wesley Street, c. 1885.  The original two-story structure had several rooms added to both floors around 1915.  This home features 12 fireplaces and is currently under restoration.

18.  “Old Church”

Wesley Street, c. 1841.  This building, more than any other, represents the ties uniting Oxford, Emory, and Methodism.  During the Civil War it served as a hospital for the wounded.  In 1880, the two wings were added to the central section.  It is currently owned by the Oxford Historical Shrine Society and is used by the College and community for special occasions.

19.  “Kitty’s Cottage”

Wesley Street, c. 1842.  This former slave cabin stands near its original location.  Bishop James O. Andrew lived on the property next to Old Church.  He had inherited a slave, Kitty Andrew Shell; this presented a problem because he could not own a slave according to church law, and he could not set a slave free according to state law.  This dispute over Kitty was the impetus for the 1844 split between the Mehodist Church, North and South.  The cabin is in the process of restoration.

20.  The Carr/Corley/Watterson House,  “High Point at Chestnut Grove”

1105 Wesley Street, c. 1830.  A late Federal style house that was moved from Covington to Oxford in 1975.  The house features delicate Ionic columns, detailed balconies, and fan-lighted doors on both floors.  The house was included in the Historic American Building Survey of 1935 as a structure of outstanding merit.

21.  The Hopkins/Bryan House,  “The Hopkins House”

1111 Wesley Street, c. 1847.  Dr. Isaac Hopkins, who lived here from 1884-1888, was the ninth president of Emory College where he introduced courses in technology.  He went on to become the first president of Georgia Institute of Technology.  This Greek revival style house is currently operating as a bed and breakfast inn.

22.  “The President’s House”

1205 Wesley Street, c. 1836.  A Greek revival built by Ignatius Few, first president of Emory College.  This house features two projecting front rooms which are not attached to the main house and were added in the 1840’s.  The Victorian trimmings were an even later addition.  From 1837 to 1889 the house was a private residence for many of the Emory College presidents.  In 1889 it was given as a gift to the college and has since housed the college presidents and deans.

23.  The Branham/Sitton House,  “The Branham House”

1223 Wesley Street, c. 1845.  A Greek revival house, this was home for 130 years to one of Oxford’s early and prominent families, the Branhams.  The house is a “4 over 4” with wide central halls and has had extensive restoration to its 1840’s configuration.

24.  The Thomas/Stone/Eady House,  “The Stone House”

1222 Wesley Street, c. 1837.  Edward Thomas, the surveyor of both the town of Oxford and Emory College, built this home.  In 1854 it was purchased by George W. W. Stone, a member of the college faculty.  He and his descendants had direct association with the college for 125 years.

25.  The Giles/Whitsitt House,  “Fierol Place”

206 W. Soule Street, c. 1900.  A Victorian era home that was extensively remodeled in 1968 at which time the large Victorian porch was removed.  The name “Fierol Place” is Olde English for “Oak Covered Ground.”

26.  The Capers/Dickson/Branham House

202 Fletcher Street, c. 1838.  William H. Mell was the first owner.  Under Judge Dickson’s ownership, the first improved strain of long staple cotton was propagated on this property.

27.  The Gaither/Payne House,  “Zora Fair Cottage”

1005 Asbury Street, c. 1840.  An early Oxford house built by Dr. Henry Gaither.  Legend has it that in 1864 Zora Fair, who had fled to Oxfod from South Carolina, became a Confederate spy.  After penetrating Sherman’s headquarters in Atlanta, she hid in the attic of this house where she escaped discovery by the Federal soldiers who were pursuing her.  She is known as Oxford’s “Confederate Girl Spy”.

28.  The Thompson House

1001 Asbury Street, c. 1908.  Built by the Decatur-Oxford District of the Methodist Church as the residence for its district superintendents and is now privately owned.  It is built in the Arts and Crafts style.

29.  The Worsham/Cline/Smith House

201 W. Soule Street, c. 1875.  This two-story farmhouse has Victorian features.  Its 1979 restoration and addition used old beams and bricks from the Turner Cotton Warehouse, which once stood on Emory Street in Covington.

30.  The Stone/Gladden House,  “The Tudie Stone Cottage”

208 W. Clark Street, c. 1905.  A Queen Anne style Victorian cottage that features a large wrap-a-round porch.  From 1905 to 1925, the house was owned by Susan (Tudie) Stone Robinson, eldest daughter of George W. W. Stone.

31.  The Galloway/Oliver House,  “Florida Hall”

312 W. Clark Street, c. 1845.  This farmhouse was built by William Galloway, an early resident of Oxford.  The house was used to board Emory College students and later was a “helping hall” primarily for students from Florida, thus the name.  The house was extensively restored starting in 1973.

32.  The Means/Tanner House,  “Orna Villa”

1008 Emory Street, c. 1820.  The oldest house in Oxford, it was built by an unnamed Virginian.  The name “Orna Villa”, which means “House of Birds”, was given to the residence by Dr. Alexander Means, Methodist minister, physician, professor, and Emory College president.  On June 2, 1857, Dr. Means demonstrated the world’s first incandescent light in the Emory College laboratory.  This house is featured in Haunted Houses in Georgia because of its ghost, Toby Means.

33.  The Jensen House,  “The Old Parsonage”

1015 Emory Street, c. 1890.  This Folk Victorian house served as the parsonage for Allen Memorial (United) Methodist Church.  It continued to do so until 1966.

34.  The Sigma Nu House

1026 Emory Street, c. 1908.  This Bungalow style house was built by the college for a Sigma Nu fraternity.  It was purchased by the Sherwood family in 1917.

35.      The Giles/Coker House

1102 Emory Street, c. 1905.  An early Arts and Crafts style house.

36.      Rust Chapel United Methodist Church

Emory Street, c. 1908.  The Rust family donated land for an African Methodist Episcopal Church to be built on this site.  In 1908 Emory College moved the present structure from the campus to replace the original church building.

37.      Oxford Historical Cemetery

North Emory Street, c. 1839.  The cemetery was a part of the original town plan laid out in 1837.  It has been referred to as the “Westminster” of Georgia Methodism; buried here are eight presidents of Emory College, three of whom became bishops in the Methodist Church, as well as a number of Methodist ministers and college faculty members.  The bishops buried here are:  James O. Andrew, Atticus G. Haygood, and Warren A. Candler.  Maximillian Kendall, the first student to die at the college, is buried here.  Ignatius Few, the first president of Emory College, was buried in Athens, Georgia until early in this century when his remains were brought to Oxford.  Kitty Andrew Shell (see #21) is buried in Bishop Andrew’s family plot and remembered with a memorial marker.  Both Confederate and Federal soldiers are buried in separate areas of the cemetery.  There is one monument dedicated for all the Union dead and individually marked gravesites for the Confederate dead.  Both are located in the southeastern portion of the cemetery.  A walk through the cemetery reveals much about Oxford’s early families, both black and white, and its rich heritage.

38.      Turkey Creek Nature Trail

Turkey Creek Nature Trial - With it's entrance located behind the Old Church and Kitty's Cottage, this trail exists due to the efforts of many people and organizations.  Read more about the Turkey Creek Nature trail.....