The Camak House, a historical landmark on 279 Meigs Street, is for sale.
It is one of the oldest houses still existing in Athens, according to a website devoted to the sale of the house. Built in the federal style, it was placed in the Historic American Buildings Survey catalogue in 1936 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
After the descendants of the original owner, James Camak, moved away, the property went on to be owned by the Mount Vernon Masonic Lodge and The Coca-Cola Bottling Company. (Read the full history of the house here.)
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It is currently owned by the law firm Winburn Lewis & Barrow PC.
The property has the advantage of having over 2 acres of land. A conceptual plan for the property, drafted by Realtor Wilson Elder, includes six apartment complexes that are ten floors each.
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“There are maybe a hundred different things you can do with that property,” Elder said. “[The conceptual plan] is just presented to show prospective buyers that there are many ways the property can be developed that's legal and zoned to do.”
If a buyer chooses to live in the house and have a garden, that would work too, according to Elder.
While changes to the property are at the discretion of the buyer, there are restrictions put on it by county zoning requirements and historic preservation covenants. Item four on the property restriction covenants reads, “No alteration and no physical or structural change and no changes in the material or surfacing shall be made to the exterior of the structure without the prior written approval of the Georgia Trust. Such approval shall be based on plans and specifications provided by Purchaser at Purchaser’s expense.”
Item seven reads: “Neither the building nor any rooms or parts thereof may be removed or demolished without the prior written approval of the Georgia Trust.”
“The Camak House and the property have development restrictions on them,” Amy Kissane, Director of the , said by email. “One is that the house (but not all of the property apparently) is locally-designated as historic.”
“It’s my understanding that there is an easement or covenant that is held by the Georgia Trust that extends to more of the land than the local one does,” said Amber Eskew, Historic Preservation Planner.
Among other places, the house has been listed in the New York Times.
