Georgia's Old Governor's Mansion

Happy World Health Day! This is the apothecary box of Governor Howell Cobb, which stores medicines and medical tools within its various doors and drawers, and is currently a part of our More Than Meets the Eye exhibit. 365 days ago, we shared this same artifact with a reminder to take care of yourselves during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than a year after the initial shutdown in the U.S., we would still like to encourage everyone to stay safe and healthy and reach out for support when needed!

Happy Easter from Georgia’s Old Governor’s Mansion! The museum will be closed today for the holiday. We will reopen for tours on Tuesday, April 9th from 10:00am-4:00pm. #gaogm #easter #historichouse #museum #milledgeville #georgia #exploregeorgia #gcsu

You may have heard about fool’s gold, but what about fool’s silver? Commonly referred to as poor man’s silver or faux silver, this tea pot is actually made of porcelain and has been painted to look like silver. A trick of the eye for all who pass by, happy April Fool’s Day from the Mansion! #gaogm #aprilfools #silver #historichouse #museum #milledgeville #georgia #gcsu

Milledgeville, GA, Sunday night 13th March 1859, My dear Ma, I presume Mr. Brown is with you lately, is probably then at this time, he was so unwell when he left home...... As Women’s History Month comes to close, we want to highlight one of the critical forms of evidence surrounding women at the Mansion in our collection: personal letters and primary documents from the First Ladies of Georgia. These women discussed not only their personal concerns, but also daily activities, Mansion life, their children, and the enslaved. Many of the previous posts from this month have been based on this documentary evidence from the First Ladies, who unknowingly became important subjects of history. The above image shows a letter from Elizabeth Grisham Brown, who was First Lady of Georgia from 1857-1865 and whose portrait can be seen above the letter. We hope you enjoyed our posts this March, and for more information on the womenboth free and enslavedwho made the Mansion what it is today, ask about our Women’s Tour! #gaogm #womenshistorymonth #historichouse #museum #milledgeville #georgia #gcsu

Ready to go from cold to colorful? Tomorrow is the first day of Spring! The image above is from the Mansion Rose Garden. Gardening in the 19th-century was considered an extension of women’s domestic duties, and the First Ladies of Georgia and their enslaved were no exception. This particular rose garden was established by First Lady Mary Ann Lamar Cobb, who lived in the Mansion from 1851-1853. Despite our record of gardening coming predominantly the First Ladies, it was actu...ally the enslaved at the Mansion who toiled in the gardens themselves. We worked with the landscaping division of Georgia College’s facilities department to create our current rose garden, which is planted with 13 varieties of roses that were available to Georgians in the 19th century. The roses bloom at different times of the year, so be sure to stop by this spring season to see which ones have blossomed! (:2019)