About the Lucy Cobb Complex
The elegant buildings of the historic Lucy Cobb Institute in Athens, Georgia, serve as the central headquarters of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
Opened in 1859, the Lucy Cobb Institute was considered one of the nation's best girls' schools until its closing in 1931.
In 1984, restoration of the buildings began when President Ronald Reagan signed a bill that included an appropriation to support renovation of the Lucy Cobb Institute as the new home of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. The renovation project—with the exception of the Seney-Stovall Chapel, the "crown jewel" of the complex—was completed in 1991.
Restoration of the chapel was completed in December 1997 through funding provided by private donations and allocations from the University of Georgia. The private fund-raising effort was spearheaded by the Friends of Lucy Cobb and Seney-Stovall.
