Tag Archives: Georgia Gold Rush

Price Memorial Hall, 1879, Dahlonega

Leave a reply

Perhaps the most iconic symbol of Dahlonega, the gold-clad steeple of Price Memorial Hall represents the University of North Georgia and the history of gold mining in the area. It can be seen from many vistas around the city. The leafing was added in 1973, from gold mined in the surrounding area. As of 2019, it has been given a fresh “coating” of gold.

The property was deeded to the state in 1871. North Georgia College was established in 1873 and when the old U. S. Mint branch burned in 1878, it was replaced by the present structure, which came to be the administration building for the college. In 1934 it was named the Price Memorial Building for William Pierce Price, founder and first president of the board of trustees of North Georgia College [now the University of North Georgia].

National Register of Historic Places

Old Lumpkin County Courthouse, 1836, Dahlonega

Leave a reply

This is the oldest public building in North Georgia and the oldest extant courthouse in Georgia in its original form (the old Government House in Augusta is older, though heavily modified). Even before the courthouse was built, Dahlonega’s prominence was validated by the government, which authorized a branch mint here in 1835. (Gold had been “discovered” in the region in 1828 with a rush of prospectors into the Cherokee Nation, in which Dahlonega was located, following in 1829). Ephraim Clayton employed bricks made from Cane Creek, a mile away, in the construction of the courthouse. A branch of the United States Mint was opened just south of the courthouse in 1838. By 1849, many of Dahlonega’s miners were bound for California and other points west lured by the promise of more abundant gold. After serving as the courthouse for over 125 years, the building was given to the state in 1966 and now serves as the Dahlonega Gold Museum.

National Register of Historic Places