Orna Villa: Oldest House in Newton County

Newton County, Georgia is home to many historic houses that showcase a variety of architectural styles, but the oldest house in all of Newton County is Orna Villa.  The home is also known as the Alexander Means House or the Means/Tanner house.

The Orna Villa house was built in 1825 and is located on Emory Street in Oxford.  It features a historic Greek Revival style in its architecture.   

For a time the home was owned by the founder and president of nearby Oxford College (now called Oxford College of Emory University), Alexander Means.   The house was also used as a hospital for soldiers during the Civil War, and has a bullet hole in the stair banister to prove it.

The home is thought to be haunted by Toby Means, Alexander Means’ son, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.  It was also used as a location in the show The Vampire Diaries as a college frat party. 

Orna Villa is in the process of being renovated by the current owner, but it is still a fabulous piece of Newton County’s rich history.