Regarded as "one of the finest examples of Greek Revival architecture in Georgia",[1] it is one of the original 1856 buildings of the country's only intact Antebellum Period railroad facility.

[2] Formerly named the Gray Building, of Savannah's Central of Georgia Railroad depot, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

[2] Originally conceived as a major trade post for Savannah, the railroad complex was occupied by Union troops at the close of the Civil War.

Despite its prime location and significant pedigree, however, the complex was beset by five decades of neglect and, by the late 20th century, the depot and its Savannah gray brick lay in ruins.

A year later, the building was dedicated to Virginia Jackson Kiah (1911–2001), a member of SCAD's Board of Trustees between 1987 and 1997 and a pioneering African-American female artist.