<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2fRYcJ_0vjDQP8b00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2fRYcJ_0vjDQP8b00" width="1763" height="1175" ><figcaption>Stephanie Cowan bought the Belmont School building, built in 1896, from its previous owner in 2023, and on Aug. 30, 2024, it was moved just 700 feet from its original land to Cowan’s 10-acre lot next door. (Photo/Caitlin Short)</figcaption></figure>Since its construction in the late 19th century, Athens’ historic Belmont School building has served as a schoolhouse as well as a private residence before being vacant and at risk of demolition for many years. It was recently bought and relocated by its new owner, Stephanie Cowan.The land the building was originally on was owned by the Morton family at the end of the 19th century and was eventually sold to the Clarke County Board of Education, valued at just $600. In 1929, the school closed and was sold to a family as a private residence, and in 1999, the building changed hands and remained vacant for many years.In 2018, three University of Georgia students under professor Mark Reinberger conducted a historic structure report on the building for their Building Materials Conservation class in the College of Environment and Design. The building had aged over the years, suffering both water and termite damage, but Reinberger said he knew it did not have to be the end of its story.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1CYQoK_0vjDQP8b00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1CYQoK_0vjDQP8b00" width="1763" height="1175" ><figcaption>Stephanie Cowan bought the Belmont School building, built in 1896, from its previous owner in 2023, and on Aug. 30, 2024, it was moved just 700 feet from its original land to Cowan’s 10-acre lot next door. (Photo/Caitlin Short)</figcaption></figure>That same year, the Belmont School building caught Athens native and University of Georgia graduate Stephanie Cowan’s interest when she purchased a lot next door to the school. From that moment on, Cowan made it her goal to find the owner of the building.“It wasn’t just a historic building, it was an actual one of these rural schoolhouses and there were not many of them left, honestly, in Athens-Clarke County,” Cowan said. “And I thought, you know, it would be a terrible shame if that school just crumbled into nothing… I wanted to take that chance to be the person who could actually maybe give it a second chance.”Cowan finally bought the building from its previous owner years later in 2023, and on Aug. 30, it was moved just 700 feet from its original land to Cowan’s 10-acre lot next door. Cowan explained that because Belmont Road is named after the school, and not the other way around, it only made sense for the building to remain on the same street.“Stephanie and I have really collaborated on the research aspect to bring the exterior back to the way it would have appeared in 1896, so we've worked through photographs of comparable school buildings in the area that we believe were designed by the same person,” Reed said. “That has been such a huge benefit in bringing this together.”Reed is a native Athenian who studied architecture and historic preservation at the Savannah College of Art and Design before graduating in 2003.He has been restoring houses since his freshman year of college and said that he considers historic building restoration a “lifelong passion.” Reed said that his strongest interest lies within working on buildings which most people may think are “too far gone.”Reed was interested in the history and possible restoration of the school and began a search to track down its owner. Around this same time, Cowan coincidentally reached out to Reed over Instagram with interest in working with him on its renovation.“It's a building that I have been aware of for most of my life, and had visited when I was growing up and even a few years ago, hoping that we could figure out something for it. And then along came Stephanie, who was really its savior,” Reed said. “It took someone with a lot of vision to understand that a building like that wasn't too far gone.”According to Cowan, although the building does not look like it on the outside, it is in surprisingly good structural shape considering its history.. Cowan plans to put in a new foundation, new siding and a complete renovation of the inside of the house. Her goal is to restore the exterior of the building to resemble what it would have looked like when it was first built, and she believes that it will be “like looking back in time.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=40lSYB_0vjDQP8b00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=40lSYB_0vjDQP8b00" width="1763" height="1175" ><figcaption>Stephanie Cowan bought the Belmont School building, built in 1896, from its previous owner in 2023, and on Aug. 30, 2024, it was moved just 700 feet from its original land to Cowan’s 10-acre lot next door. (Photo/Caitlin Short)</figcaption></figure>Reed sees the importance in restoring the building with a plan to maintain historic character without compromise. Under the building, an original newel post and step stringer was found to help them recreate the original steps, and they also plan to replicate the school’s original front doors. The interior of residence will include six rooms and a vestibule, featuring built-in furniture with an early 20th century style.“We're really trying to keep any impact of what we're doing to make this a livable space for Stephanie at a minimum, so that the school and its history is what shines and what really stands proud,” Reed said.Although Cowan and Reed do not know when the renovation will be finished, moving the building itself was the first step. Following its completion, Cowan also dreams of possibly building a workshop behind the house. Cowan graduated from UGA as a jewelry and metalworking major, and looks forward to building a dedicated space where she can enjoy her work.“I'm incredibly excited, incredibly proud and humbled that I had the opportunity to do this, and I want to do it right,” Cowan said. “It’s been an awesome journey so far, and I know it's going to be special when it's done.”Cowan continues to study and piece together the history of the school, gathering information from various sources to the best of her ability. According to Cowan, she still has gaps to fill, but the more she learns about its past, the more excited she gets about it.“It is so very rewarding, especially being something local that is such a relevant part of our history, and a part of our history that was so nearly lost,” Reed said. “So to be a part of bringing that back is very special.”According to Cowan, the school’s given name can most likely be explained by being on a higher point of the original plot of land, and in French, the name “Belmont” means “beautiful hill.”“I’ve had people stopping by constantly to tell me how happy they are that the school is being saved,” Cowan said. “I do want people to feel that it is still part of the community. So even though it's going to be my home, I do want to somehow or another make it a part of the community if I can.”</div></body>

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128-year-old Belmont School moved 700 feet to begin preservation efforts

Since its construction in the late 19th century, Athens’ historic Belmont School building has served as a schoolhouse as well as a private residence before being vacant and at risk of demolition for many years. It was recently bought and relocated by its new owner, Stephanie Cowan. The land...