Sumter Historic Trust preserves home at 301 W. College Street

Published 5:35 pm Thursday, July 31, 2025

Built in 1909 by Thomas Harrold, the magnificent 6000 square foot Greek revival style home has fallen into disrepair in recent times. Honey bees and water rot have weakened the towering columns and exterior facade to the point that the City of Americus had to step in and shore up the exterior structure in order to prevent catastrophic collapse. Former owners, the Hendon’s, donated the home and land to the Sumter Historic Trust in December, 2024.

According to Charles Crisp, the Trust’s Preservation Action and Revolving Fund Committee Chairman, the Trust plans to rehabilitate the exterior of the structure and then sell the property to a new owner who will preserve it for future generations. “So far we have raised over $100,000.00 of our $225,000.00 goal. We plan to rehabilitate the exterior of the house by replacing the four large support columns, repair the architrave (the main beam resting across the tops of the columns), rebuild and repair the porte-cochere on the west side of the house and reproduce and replace the balustrade (at the front, on the roof). So far we have replaced the roof, removed and cut back trees that were endangering the structure and rebuilt a chimney that was knocked down by a large limb. The new columns were delivered this week and construction on the front of the house is expected to commence in the next several weeks.” According to Crisp, the inside of the home is in “good condition, much better than one would expect looking at the front.” The ceilings are high, and much of the historic character of the structure has been preserved by thoughtful renovations over the years. There are 5 generous bedrooms plus a bonus room that could be used as an office or nursery, 3 full bathrooms, two substantial sitting rooms or parlors, a large dining room and kitchen, a glassed-in sun-room on the east side of the house, and two stair cases, an elaborate one at the front of the house and a narrower one at the rear. There is an expansive backyard that backs up to Randolf Alley and the rail line. 301 West College Street is part of the Historic District. The Trust continues to welcome donations for the project and plans to announce more fundraisers in the future. If you are interested in joining the Trust, donating to this project or receiving more information about purchasing this home in the future, please contact the Sumter Historic Trust at Sumterhistorictrust.org.