Double Branches Historic District
Why it's listed
Double Branches is a rural community in southeastern Lincoln County, Georgia, strung along Double Branches Road across rolling farmland and woodland. The district holds historic houses, farm outbuildings, two stores, and a group of Black community institutions: the C.M.E. Mulberry Church and cemetery, the Mulberry School and a Masonic Lodge. Its houses range from simple saddlebag and gabled-ell types to the early 19th-century Freeman-Bussey House, a Plantation Plain building, and the 1907 John M. Price House, which combines Neoclassical Revival and Folk Victorian details. The Price Store, built in 1897, still serves the community. The settlement was one of the oldest in the county, with a post office dating to 1827 and the first rural telephone line in Lincoln County, built in 1900. Its listing rests on its role as an early linear community, its range of vernacular architecture, its commercial buildings and its rare surviving Black landmarks. The boll weevil and the creation of Clarks Hill Lake later contributed to the community's decline.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | c. 1840-1942 (revised by the Keeper from the 1784-1942 stated in the form) |
|---|---|
| Styles | Vernacular (other: vernacular); includes Plantation Plain, saddlebag, gabled-ell, Folk Victorian and Neoclassical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Black, Architecture |
| Acreage | 800 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Double Branches Historic District (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.