Berrong-Oakley House

05/29/2026

✨ You’re invited to an unforgettable evening of history, elegance, and preservation! ✨

Join the Towns County Historical Society for Laurel, Lace, & Legacy, a gala benefiting the restoration of the Berrong-Oakley House.

📅 Saturday, July 25, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM
📍 Rollins Center, Young Harris College

Guests will enjoy a plated dinner, entertainment, a silent auction, and an elegant evening celebrating local history and the future of one of Hiawassee’s treasured landmarks. Each ticket includes one complimentary drink ticket.

🎟️ Tickets are $75 per person
Proceeds from this event will support the ongoing restoration of the Berrong-Oakley House, helping preserve this important piece of Towns County history for future generations.

Get your tickets today at townscountyhistory.org/gala or call (706) 389-8376.
We hope you’ll join us for a beautiful night where community, history, and legacy come together!

05/20/2026

🎉 Big news for the Berrong-Oakley House!
The Towns County Historical Society is excited to announce that we have received a $10,000 matching grant from The 1772 Foundation, administered in partnership with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, to support continued restoration work at the historic Berrong-Oakley House in downtown Hiawassee.

This funding will help address an important behind-the-scenes need of the house: repairing areas of the exterior foundation where spalling has occurred and installing drainage improvements to continue moving water away from the structure. These repairs are an essential step in protecting the house from moisture damage and supporting its long-term stability.

Because this is a matching grant, every dollar must be matched by the Historical Society. Community donations, sponsorships, and fundraising efforts will help us complete this important phase of the project.

We are also excited to continue raising support through our upcoming Lace, Laurel, & Legacy Victorian Gala on July 25. This special evening will include music, fellowship, and support for local preservation. Tickets are $75 and are available now at townscountyhistory.org/gala.

To support the Berrong-Oakley House restoration, visit townscountyhistory.org/boh.

Thank you to The 1772 Foundation, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, and everyone who continues to support this project. Together, we are helping preserve a piece of Towns County history for future generations. 🏡

05/20/2026

There’s been a lot of progress happening at the Berrong-Oakley House over the last few weeks!

Volunteers have been hard at work repairing a section of the porch ceiling that had been damaged by a leak from the previous roof. Thankfully, very little rot was found - a true testament to the craftsmanship and strength of this 121-year-old home. To help ensure the house stands strong for generations to come, new rafters were carefully sistered in to provide additional support while preserving the historic structure.

We’re also excited to share that the ADA-accessible ramp is almost complete! Since the home was originally built as a private residence in 1905, accessibility was never part of the original design. As we continue restoring the house, one of our goals has been making sure everyone in our community has the opportunity to experience and enjoy this historic treasure.

As part of the new accessible pathway, supporters also have the opportunity to leave a lasting mark on the project through our engraved brick and paver program. These named bricks will become part of the pathway leading into the house - helping preserve history while honoring families, memories, and community support for years to come.

To learn more about the project or reserve a brick or paver, visit: townscountyhistory.org/boh

05/18/2026

✨ You’re invited to an unforgettable evening of history, elegance, and preservation! ✨

Join the Towns County Historical Society for Laurel, Lace, & Legacy, a formal gala benefiting the restoration of the Berrong-Oakley House.

📅 Saturday, July 25, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM
📍 Rollins Center, Young Harris College

Guests will enjoy a plated dinner, entertainment, a silent auction, and an elegant evening celebrating local history and the future of one of Hiawassee’s treasured landmarks. Each ticket includes one complimentary drink ticket.

🎟️ Tickets are $75 per person
Formal attire requested.

Proceeds from this event will support the ongoing restoration of the Berrong-Oakley House, helping preserve this important piece of Towns County history for future generations.

Get your tickets today at townscountyhistory.org/gala or call (706) 389-8376.

We hope you’ll join us for a beautiful night where community, history, and legacy come together!

Join the Towns County Historical Society for the Laurel, Lace, & Legacy Gala, benefiting the restoration of the historic Berrong-Oakley House in Hiawassee.

05/16/2026

We had a great time at the hard hat tour today, even more so because we could finally welcome the public back inside the Berrong-Oakley Home!

Participants were able to walk through each room of the house, learn the history, the vision, goals, & see the progress that is being made.

To top it off, our last tour featured descendants from J. Miles Berrong through his son, Fielding Pope Berrong. We were glad to have the Waldrip/Campbell family join us!

We have some more exciting news rolling out in the coming days, so be on the lookout for that as well!

05/13/2026

We have a few tickets left for this Saturday's hard hat tour! Come and get a first-hand view of the restoration work being done and learn about the house! Visit townscountyhistory.org/hardhat for more details.

Berrong-Oakley House Hardhat Tour

04/23/2026

What a difference just a few months can make! The Berrong-Oakley House restoration is making steady progress, and it’s starting to show.

Want a behind-the-scenes look at the work underway? Join us for our upcoming Hard Hat Tour on May 16 and see the progress for yourself. Reserve your spot at townscountyhistory.org/hardhat.

Want to learn more about the project or support the restoration? Visit townscountyhistory.org/boh.

04/16/2026

The Berrong-Oakley House front porch restoration is coming along beautifully, and it is finally starting to look like a front porch again.

These photos show the progress made over the last several weeks as new columns have been installed, railings have been rebuilt to match the originals, and preparations are underway for the new handicap ramp. Each step brings us closer to giving this historic home new life while preserving the character that makes it so special.

We are especially grateful to our volunteers from MBRA for the many hours of hard work, dedication, and care they have poured into this project. Their efforts are making a real difference.

Want to help us keep the progress going? Donations to support the restoration of the Berrong-Oakley House can be made at townscountyhistory.org/boh.

Want a behind-the-scenes look at the restoration? Join us for our Hardhat Tours on May 16 and see the progress for yourself. Tickets are available now at townscountyhistory.org/hardhat.

04/02/2026

The first set of railing has been installed on the front porch & it looks fantastic!

You have a chance to see all the restoration work up close & learn about the project - visit townscountyhistory.org/hardhat to learn more.

To learn more about the project and how you can help, visit townscounthistory.org/boh