{"nrhp_refnum":"86003456","name":"Mathews, John Frank, Plantation","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"US 80 at George Smith Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Prattsburg","county":"Talbot County","state":"GA","lat":32.710735547500036,"lon":-84.3599159964346,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-12-04","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Agriculture","Historic - Non-Aboriginal","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A ca. 55-acre plantation district at the intersection of U.S. 80 and George Smith Road in Prattsburg, Talbot County, Georgia, centered on a two-story frame Greek Revival main house built in 1859-1860 with outbuildings, a cemetery, and mill ruins.","why_significant":"The main house is a nearly untouched example of a late antebellum plantation house, and the original signed plans by builder James D. Cottingham survive, the only ones known for a Georgia antebellum plantation house. The ruins of an industrial complex (cotton gin, grist mill, sawmill, planing mill, dipping vat) may yield information about plantation industry. The plantation was also one of the largest cotton producers in the area, with over 100 bales in 1859-1860.","narrative":"Located along U.S. 80 in Prattsburg, Talbot County, Georgia, this plantation district centers on a two-story frame main house built in 1859-1860 for cotton planter John Frank Mathews. Local carpenter James D. Cottingham served as builder, and his signed plans survive, the only ones known for a Georgia antebellum plantation house. The Greek Revival house follows a four-over-four plan with a central hall and keeps its original siding, columns, balconies, mantels, stairs, and shutters. Surrounding it are a detached kitchen, smokehouse, privy, barn, corn crib, family cemetery, tenant house, blacksmith shop, and an old store and gas station. In a nearby pine forest lie the ruins of an industrial complex that included a cotton gin, grist mill, sawmill, planing mill, and dipping vat serving a wide area. In 1859-1860 the plantation produced over 106 bales of cotton. The property was listed for its architecture, its ties to Georgia's cotton economy, and its archaeological potential.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"James D. Cottingham, Builder","architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":["A","C","D"],"status_note":"The main house has changed very little and is undergoing restoration as a second home; the property is occupied.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:43.238625-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_GA/86003456.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003456/91661e9d0f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003456/91661e9d0f-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Rivers Langley; SaveRivers","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Frank_Mathews_Plantation;_Prattsburg,_GA_(NRHP).JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Rivers Langley; SaveRivers</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Frank_Mathews_Plantation;_Prattsburg,_GA_(NRHP).JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/93209552","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107001479"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/georgia/talbot-county/mathews-john-frank-plantation-86003456/"}