George Walton and "College Hill"

The Harper house in Augusta, Georgia has been generally regarded as the summer home of George Walton. Because of this belief, the Georgia Heritage Trust began exploring the possibility of purchasing the home to preserve it as a valuable historical property. It was thought that the house might serve to emphasize the many contributions of George Walton to Georgia and to the nation. Also, the house could help illustrate many characteristic features of life in Georgia during the early national period.

The Historic Preservation Section of the Department of Natural Resources contracted with this researcher for a preliminary evaluation of the property prior to its acquisition by the State. That study was to have been followed by more exhaustive research to provide the historical information necessary for the proper use of the site. This report is the first part of that project—the examination of the historical value of the property, particularly of the claim that it was the George Walton house.

The conclusion of this report is that George Walton probably did not build or live in the Harper house. This judgement is not conclusive, but the evidence against Walton's connection with the house seems almost overwhelming. It should be noted that these findings came as a surprise to this researcher, who began this project sharing the commonly accepted beliefs about the house. Also, this conclusion is contrary to the personal interests of the researcher. After the completion of this preliminary research, he was to have continued with the further study on the project, an opportunity which this report will certainly jeopardize. The findings of the preliminary historical evaluation will be summarized by sections in the following report, with a few brief recommendations offered after the final section.