The Ramble will visit a number of sites during the three-day event, with SSU’s historic Hill Hall on the map for Sunday, October 9, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Historic Hill Hall is the oldest extant and most significant structure on the Savannah State University campus. Built in 1901 by students and faculty of the then Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youths, the main distinctive features of the three-story building are its large Palladian (or serliana) window, gambrel roof and Georgian revival portico. The building is named after Walter Barnard Hill, chancellor of the University of Georgia from 1899-1905.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, a three-phase renovation began in 1999. Unfortunately, in May of 2000, the structure was gutted after a welding torch caused a fire during demolition of a steel staircase. The third floor was nearly completely lost and the building sustained extensive water damage in the aftermath.
The award-winning rehabilitation was completed several years later by way of extensive research, tested preservation methods and the use of authentic materials. Hill Hall reopened for use in the fall of 2008 and has once again become the centerpiece of Savannah State’s campus, housing the university’s main administrative functions and enrollment services center. In 2009, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation honored the exemplary restoration with its Excellence in Rehabilitation Award.
Register for the Fall Ramble tour.
