{"nrhp_refnum":"86002003","name":"Adams-Matheson House","other_names":["Carswell Residence"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"116 Athens St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Hartwell","county":"Hart County","state":"GA","lat":34.35168050100003,"lon":-82.94073617399994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-09-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story frame Victorian-eclectic residence at 116 Athens Street in Hartwell, Hart County, Georgia, built around 1900 by the Temple family for Mrs. Dessie H. Adams and later altered with a Craftsman-inspired porch.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is architecturally significant because its evolution from Victorian-eclectic to Craftsman features reflects Hartwell's two predominant styles, and it has fine late Victorian gable detailing. It is also tied to the Temple family of local builders. It is significant in social history through the Adams, Matheson and Benson families.","narrative":"Built around 1900 at 116 Athens Street in Hartwell, this one-story frame house began as a Victorian-eclectic residence for Mrs. Dessie H. Adams, whose family ran a cotton-related business on Depot Street. J. W. Temple and the Temple family, local contractors and suppliers, constructed it. The steep metal pyramidal roof has several projecting gables, and the large front gable is decorated with fish scale shingles, a cut and turned bargeboard and bracketed eaves. Charles E. Matheson, a cotton and fertilizer merchant, acquired the property in 1915 and in 1919 added two rear rooms and a new Craftsman-style porch, again built by the Temple family. His wife, Ethel Benson, was a granddaughter of Hartwell founder John B. Benson. The house is valued for its fine late Victorian detailing, for an evolution of style typical of the town, and for its links to the Adams, Matheson and Benson families. It remains a residence in good condition.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Temple family (J. W. Temple)","architectural_style":"Victorian-eclectic with Craftsman-inspired porch","criteria":["B","C"],"status_note":"In use as a residence and in good condition.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:43.561818-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_GA/86002003.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86002003/8393f030e9-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86002003/8393f030e9-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Upstateherd","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adams-Matheson_House_-_Hartwell,_GA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Upstateherd</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:Adams-Matheson_House_-_Hartwell,_GA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/93206230","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams-Matheson_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q43371279"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/georgia/hart-county/adams-matheson-house-86002003/"}