Oglethorpe House

Originally built in 1965 as a private development featuring a pool and an entertainment area, Oglethorpe House was transformed into an on-campus staple as it was acquired by the University of Georgia in 1979. Adjacent to the nine-story living area, the entertainment area was converted into a dining hall to feed students. The layout remained relatively unchanged until 2012, when UGA decided to expand the dining hall westward to accommodate massive crowds. The construction required a tradeoff of eliminating the pool. UGA Food services determined the pool’s use to be extremely limited due to students being away for the summer and opted to fill in the pool and continue with the project. The residence hall also began renovation a year later and took place during the Summer of 2013 and 2014 in two phases in order to stay in commission during the school year. “O-House”, as it is known by UGA students, is named after James Oglethorpe the founder of the colony of Georgia. Originally established as a debtor’s colony, Oglethorpe oversaw the structural foundation of Georgia and was an important figure in the planning of Savannah. His legacy is now cemented at the University of Georgia as the namesake of a mini-community within the larger Hill Community, which also features Boggs, Church, Hill, Lipscomb, Mell, and Morris. It is a convenient space with the adjacent dining hall and is typically used year-round to house visitors during summer events.