Franklin College

then later as Franklin College of Arts and Sciences as the university expanded over the years.
Initially, classes were taught under the shade of a large oak tree on what is present-day North Campus. The first permanent building on campus was a Georgian style three-story brick structure completed in 1806 and named Franklin College in honor of Benjamin Franklin. The University of Georgia would often be referred to as Franklin College for the next 50 years. Now known as Old College, it is the oldest building on the campus and has been used for many purposes over the years, including as a dormitory and boarding house space, classrooms, fortification and a safe harbor for the U.S. Navy. It now houses the offices for the Dean of Franklin College.
Old College is believed to have been patterned after Connecticut Hall at Yale University. Like other founders of the university, Abraham Baldwin, the university's first president, was a Yale alumnus, as was Josiah Meigs, who served as the university's second president. Entrance …