Roe-Harper House
Why it's listed
Built between 1786 and 1803, this half-timbered house was constructed for John Roe, an early settler on Sandy Run Creek in Hancock County, Georgia. The original house measured about 34 by 34 feet, with five rooms, two porches and a loft under one low-pitched roof. Its timber frame is filled with brick nogging, still exposed under the porches and inside the first-floor walls, and it has three brick end chimneys, six-panel cross-and-bible doors, chair rails and paneled wainscoting. Clapboarding was added later, probably around 1825, and a room and porch were added in the nineteenth century. The house passed from the Roe family to the Harper family. It matters because half-timbering was uncommon in the United States after the seventeenth century, and this is the only known example of its type in Georgia. The plan combines English vernacular traditions with southern double-pen and plantation plain forms. In 1982 the house was moved to Baldwin County.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant mainly for its half-timbered construction, a method rare in the United States after the seventeenth century and the only known example of its type in Georgia. It blends old English vernacular timber traditions with southern vernacular forms. It also survives from the earliest settlement of the Sandy Run Creek area.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 77000437, listed March 6, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Off US 441, Milledgeville |
|---|---|
| County | Baldwin County |
| Listed | March 6, 1986 |
| Reference number | 77000437 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1786-1803 |
| Architectural style | Half-timber |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Moved in September 1982 from Hancock County to Baldwin County; described as in excellent condition and altered, with a recently finished loft. The form lists it as occupied. |
| Acreage | 6.5 |
| Coordinates | 33.16607, -83.27735 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 77000437.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.