Lucy Cobb Institute

Lucy Cobb Institute is a historic building in Athens featuring an octagonal red brick chapel and architectural details from the early American Republic and Regency periods. The structure displays classical design elements from these eras and now houses the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia.

Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb founded the academy in 1859, naming it in honor of his daughter Lucy who died from scarlet fever. The school emerged from his personal loss and his desire to provide exceptional education to young women.

The school offered advanced instruction in sciences, mathematics, rhetoric, languages, and literature that went far beyond typical finishing school lessons of that era. This broad education reflected a forward-thinking approach to what women could learn and achieve.

The building sits on the University of Georgia campus and can be easily reached by walking through the campus grounds. Visitors should check ahead about access since it currently operates as an administrative building with limited public hours.

A student named Nellie Stovall played a key role in funding the chapel by writing a personal letter to philanthropist George Seney. His generous contribution made possible the construction of one of the campus's most distinctive architectural features.