The Historic Grant Mansion, New Home of the Atlanta Preservation Center

In December 2001 the Atlanta Preservation Center purchased Atlanta’s most significant and endangered house, the antebellum Lemuel P. Grant Mansion in the Grant Park Historic District. Without our intervention this historic house would have been demolished by the next owner to build two new homes.

With this recent purchase, we are furthering our mission to promote Atlanta’s architecturally, historically and culturally significant buildings, neighborhoods and landscapes. Our vision for the house is to use it to publicize the importance of preservation and Atlanta’s history through hands-on educational programs and to build a revolving fund to assist in the preservation of other endangered Atlanta buildings. Our plans include restoring it as our headquarters, a preservation resource center and a house museum. 

The three-story, Italianate mansion was built in 1856 by Grant (1817-1893), a city pioneer, railroad magnate, and philanthropist who donated 100 acres to the city for Grant Park. Surviving the Civil War, the house was the birthplace of golf legend Robert Tyre “Bobby” Jones and was at one time a passion of Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone with the Wind who filed a lawsuit to protect it.

The selling price for the Grant Mansion was $109,900. The Atlanta Preservation Center raised $140,000 to purchase the house and make it suitable for offices and moved its headquarters there in February 2002. A capital campaign to cover the restoration of the house and a maintenance endowment is underway.

Directions to Grant Mansion:

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