Weracoba-St. Elmo Historic District
Why it's listed
Weracoba/St. Elmo, also known as Lakebottom, is a multi-use neighborhood in midtown Columbus, Georgia, shaded by mature hardwood trees. It combines eight subdivisions of middle-class homes, a large public park, a school and a small shopping center. Of about 440 surviving houses, most were built in the 1920s and 1930s, in Craftsman Bungalow, Tudor Revival, Neoclassical Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival styles, and the historic fabric remains largely intact. The area's roots lie in antebellum suburban estates, represented by St. Elmo, built around 1830, and Highland Hall, from the 1850s. Weracoba Park began in 1890 as Wildwood Park, a private amusement area developed by John Flournoy's Columbus Railroad Company to boost streetcar ridership and nearby land sales. The city bought part of it in 1924, with a portion becoming the site of Columbus High School. St. Elmo School (1930) and the St. Elmo Shopping Center (1939) add civic and commercial character.
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).
| Styles | Greek Revival; Colonial Revival, Neoclassical Revival, Tudor Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival; Bungalow/Craftsman; Moderne |
|---|---|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Landscape Architecture |
| Acreage | 210 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Weracoba-St. Elmo 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.