{"nrhp_refnum":"09001202","name":"Lake Acworth Beach and Bathhouse","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"Lakeshore Dr.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Acworth","county":"Cobb County","state":"GA","lat":34.06157862600003,"lon":-84.68317779299997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2010-01-07","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Entertainment/Recreation","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A historic district on the north shore of Lake Acworth in Acworth, Cobb County, Georgia, centered on a brick bathhouse and crescent-shaped beach completed in 1953 and designed by the Marietta firm Bothwell & Nash.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is one of the few public beach and bathhouse complexes built in Georgia after World War II and a good example of early modern design blended with Colonial Revival elements. It is also significant for recreation, because it served local residents and visitors from Atlanta, and for social history, because it was a whites-only facility during segregation.","narrative":"Lake Acworth Beach and Bathhouse is a public recreation complex on the north shore of Lake Acworth, about 25 miles northwest of Atlanta. The one-story brick bathhouse, designed by Bothwell & Nash of Marietta, was completed in 1953 and dedicated by Governor Herman Talmadge before a crowd of 600. Its low hip roof, cupola and wraparound porch colonnade combine mid-century modern form with Colonial Revival details. The crescent beach was built from 20 rail-car loads of sand to soften the red-clay shoreline. The complex was promoted as a summer escape from Atlanta and became a favored gathering place for local groups. It was built for whites only during legal segregation, and African Americans in the area had to travel to George Washington Carver State Park on Allatoona Lake. The district includes the bathhouse and beach as contributing resources, while a 1962 social hall, three pavilions and a dock were added later and do not contribute. Its period of significance runs from 1953 to 1955.","period_of_significance":"1953-1955","architect_builder":"Bothwell & Nash (architecture firm); Clotfelter, Sidney (general contractor)","architectural_style":"Modern Movement, with Colonial Revival elements","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Current function is listed as outdoor recreation; the bathhouse survives with few alterations.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:43.467081-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_GA/09001202.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09001202/58a8073c86-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09001202/58a8073c86-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Nilesrob","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AcworthBeach.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nilesrob</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AcworthBeach.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/93207589","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q141741971"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/georgia/cobb-county/lake-acworth-beach-and-bathhouse-09001202/"}