Price Memorial Hall, also known as the Price Memorial Building, is a historic site in
Dahlonega, Georgia
The city of Dahlonega () is the county seat of Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,242, and in 2018 the population was estimated to be 6,884.
Dahlonega is located at the north end of ...
. The hall was built on the site of the U.S. government's federal branch mint built in 1836. It burned down in 1878 and the university, one of the first
Federal Land Grant College
A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890.
Signed by Abraha ...
s, had its hall built on the foundation. A
historical marker
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...
is located on the site.
It was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
on January 20, 1972. It is located on 82 College Circle.
UNG
Price Memorial Hall is the oldest surviving building on the
University of North Georgia
The University of North Georgia (UNG) is a public senior military college with multiple campuses in Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia. The university was established on January 8, 2013 by a merger of North Georgia College ...
's Dahlonega campus. It currently serves as the campus's main administrative office building.
William Pierce Price
It was officially renamed in honor of UNG's founder and former Board of Trustees president,
William P. Price
William Pierce Price (January 29, 1835 – November 4, 1908) was a politician who served in the United States House of Representatives. Price was born in Dahlonega, Georgia.
Early life and education
Price was born to William Pierce Price, Sr., ...
, in 1934. Price, who was also a
U.S. Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
, worked diligently with the
Morrill Act
The Morrill Land-Grant Acts are United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges in U.S. states using the proceeds from sales of federally-owned land, often obtained from indigenous tribes through treaty, cession, or se ...
to ensure the university's creation as both an agricultural and military college.
Prior to Price's death, Price Memorial Hall was simply known as the "main building."
The Gold Steeple
The gold steeple was added to the University of North Georgia's Price Memorial Hall in 1972 with genuine Dahlonega gold. Dahlonega was where the nation's first major
gold rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...
began in 1828. The process consisted of taking 13 ounces of gold and flattening it out to fit the size of the steeple in several sheets. The renovation was the first time the steeple had been replaced, and the project cost almost $100,000. It is the second building in Georgia to use Dahlonega gold.
“College steeple gets North Georgia gold”
''Rome News-Tribune'', 7 Dec. 1999: 5. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
See also
*
External links
Price Memorial Building historical marker
References
{{coord, 34.530, -83.987, type:landmark_region:US-GA, display=title
University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state)
Buildings and structures in Lumpkin County, Georgia
National Register of Historic Places in Lumpkin County, Georgia
University and college buildings completed in 1879
1879 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
University of North Georgia