Southside mansion on the market

Dec. 26—One of the few still-standing remnants from Milledgeville's time as the Georgia state capital has hit the market.

The Rockwell House, built circa 1838 and located at 402 Allen Memorial Drive, was placed for sale by the ownership trio of Jacob Hawkins, Ross Sheppard and Will Walker last week. The asking price for the six-bedroom, five-bath mansion is $850,000.

Sheppard, a native of this area, and Hawkins are both Georgia College & State University alumni. They, along with Walker, undertook what was a massive restoration project when they jointly purchased the 6,500-square-foot Milledgeville Federal/Greek Revival house and 12-acre property in 2019.

"The house underwent a full restoration," Sheppard said. "All of the systems were replaced (plumbing, wiring, heating and air), five new bathrooms, and a new luxury custom kitchen. Every surface inside and out was refinished including paint, floors and plaster repair. One room had been stripped of its historic moldings and fireplace mantle, which we reproduced with plaster, woodworking craftsmen and 3-D printing. The grounds and outbuildings also got an overhaul; you couldn't even see the pond from the house when we bought it."

All restoration work was done in compliance with the Secretary of Interior's standards for historic preservation.

Any future sale also includes the Rockwell House's ongoing event-hosting/boutique inn business operation, which has been in place nearly two years now. There are already "several" events on the calendar for next year, and some brides have inquired about 2025 dates for weddings as well, Sheppard said. The current ownership group believes the business could grow faster with more dedicated proprietors since Sheppard and Walker have been focused on another significant restoration in Savannah.

"When we first started the Rockwell House project, all of the investors spent a lot of time with the property and working on launching the business. Four years later, we all have other projects that are higher priorities and keep us from spending as much time in Milledgeville as we would like to," Sheppard said on why the trio is now looking to sell. "For example, Will and I recently completed a restoration of a similar-sized building in Savannah which requires a lot of time from us to start up. The Rockwell House is incredible and the business has been steadily growing, but we think new owners could grow things a lot faster than we can right now."

Sheppard, who is also the property's listing agent through Corcoran Austin Hill Realty, added that the home's indoor capacity for events is limited to 99 people due to fire code, but the grounds as a whole can accommodate events of "basically any size." The largest hosted thus far has been around 300 guests.

"The initial response has been really strong," Sheppard said Thursday on the level of interest since listing. "We've had a few showings occur already and more are scheduled after just 48 hours on the market."

Built during the period when Milledgeville was the state capital, the Rockwell House is named for its original occupant, Col. Samuel Rockwell. Also a lawyer, Rockwell moved from Maine to Georgia in 1834 with the man who designed the home, Joseph Lane. Rockwell died in 1841, and the stately manor later passed to Herschel V. Johnson, former Georgia governor, who served from 1853 to 1857. Johnson used the Rockwell House as his summer home.

Several others came to own the property. The years — and a fire in 1969 — took their toll until Hawkins, Sheppard, and Walker stepped in four years ago. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

A cast iron fence runs along Allen Memorial Drive at the front of the property. A swinging gate within that fence aligns perfectly with the front door, which is guarded by a large staircase of nearly steps. Once the climb is made, it's to the front porch where four columns support a portico. Inside the front door awaits a spiral staircase similar to other buildings of the era. The kitchen features updated appliances, tastefully selected to not look out of place despite being inside a 19th-century home. All around the grounds are reminders of the time of when the house was built, like the carriage path crossing the front yard to the front door.