The Judge William Wilson House, a two-story Greek Revival building
built over a period of three years from 1856 to 1859, is one if the
rare pre-Civil War buildings still standing in Atlanta. Wilson was
the son of early settlers in Atlanta. He acquired 1,200 acres from
his father in 1839 and created one of the largest plantations in the
area. While Wilson was serving with the Georgia Volunteer Infantry
during the Civil War, his house was used by Union General William
T. Sherman as temporary headquarters during the Battle of Atlanta.
After the war, Judge Wilson served as a justice of the inferior court
in Fulton County, a representative in the Georgia General Assembly,
and as the sheriff of Fulton County.
Judge William Wilson House
National Register photograph by Yen Tang
The exterior walls are constructed of fieldstone and mortar that
has been stuccoed. The walls are reported to have been constructed
by pouring the materials into a form. A two-story portico with a
second floor porch was removed in the early 1960s when a two-story
frame addition was constructed on the foundations of the portico.
The original front door, now located in the addition, has an over
light and sidelights. A screened porch is located on the rear of
the building. The interior floor plan is typical of the Greek Revival
style with a central stair hall and four rooms on each floor. Other
Greek Revival features include molding around the doorways and windows
and the high ceilings.
Members of the Wilson family and their slaves are buried in a
small cemetery located southwest of the house. A detached kitchen
and several slave cabins were once located on the property. The
kitchen was southwest of the house, but was demolished due to its
deterioration in the 1960s. The slave cabins were located directly
south of the house, but the exact location is unknown. The Wilson
House remained in the family until 1962 when Dr. Thomas N. Guffin,
great grandson of the builder, sold the property to the Holy Family
Hospital so that it could be used as nurses' quarters. Most recently
is was used as a community center by Southwest Community Hospital.
The Judge William A. Wilson House is located at 501 Fairburn
Rd. in Atlanta. It is currently not in use and not open to the public.
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