An Athens historic landmark and a previous home to The Post in the 1970s, the Pilcher House, is full of history.
Built in 1881, the Pilcher House honors the original owner Thomas Murray Drake Pilcher, a businessman and cabinet maker.
Ohio University purchased the Pilcher House, located between the College Bookstore, Inc. and the Schoonover Center on East Union Street.
Pilcher was previously used as office space for the College of Communication, The Post, and OU’s yearbook Spectrum Green, according to a 1980 Post article in university archives.
The building is now part of the National Register of Historic Places.
“Being a part of the historic district means if the building is destroyed, federal government money can’t be used,” said Richard Rainsford, architect with Athens Architectural Restoration Resources, in a Post article from 1981.
The university rented the space to tenants who restored the building to its original condition to avoid demolition.
For $1 per year for 25 years, the father-son duo of Constantine and Tony Antonakos rented the Pilcher House from OU to begin the estimated $100,000 renovation, according to a 1981 Post article. The building sat empty from September 1979 to 1982.
The Pilcher House was last used in October 2011 for University Office of Legal Affairs, said Bill Kimok, university archivist and records manager.
“It was a delightfully charming place, with beautiful original woodwork from a type of tree I am told now is extinct,” said Barbara Nalazek, associate general counsel in the office of legal affairs who worked in the Pilcher House for nine years. “...I will always remember fondly my time working in Pilcher House.”
Legal Affairs has since moved to the West Union Street Office Center, 160 W. Union St.
Construction to the Pilcher House is not in the works, and the building is currently temporarily vacant, said Harry Wyatt, vice president for architecture design and construction.
“Up until about a month or so ago, the house was occupied as a construction office for the rehabilitation of former Baker Center into the new Schoonover Center,” Wyatt said.
The Pilcher House will serve as an office for construction during the second phase of the Schoonover renovation, Wyatt said.
“I’d be very surprised if the university decided to tear the Pilcher House down because…well…it’s charming,” said Andy Alexander, 1970 Post editor and current visiting professor.
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This article orginally appeared in print under the headline, "Pilcher gives idea of OU's past."
