Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences

Established in 1875, the Telfair Academy includes the original Telfair Mansion designed by English architect William Jay. The mansion was built for Alexander Telfair, whose father, Edward Telfair, was governor of Georgia and a Revolutionary War patriot. Mary Telfair, a highly educated and culturally-minded woman, was to be the last of the Telfair line. In her will of 1875 Mary endowed numerous charities and founded the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences.

In 1883 the Telfair mansion was enlarged with the addition of the Sculpture Gallery and Rotunda (pictured, top right). The formal opening in 1886 of the Telfair Mansion and Art Museum was attended by many dignitaries.

Jay's classical Regency design for the exterior is punctuated by a rectangular porch surmounted by a semicircular window. The four Corinthian columns have unusual coadestone capitals.

The interior spaces are highlighted by the Octagon and Dining Room, representing period rooms of the early 19th century. These period rooms provide a splendid setting for the Museum's decorative arts collection, including American European objects from 1790-1840. The core of this collection is the Telfair family legacy, including a rare Philadelphia suite of maple furniture and an unusual dining table with two sets of semi-circular leaves commissioned by Thomas Cook of Philadelphia.