Fort Hollingsworth-White House
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Why it's listed
Built in 1793 by Jacob Hollingsworth, this log building near Hollingsworth in Banks County, Georgia, began as a fort: an extra-strong one-room dwelling with small casement windows, half-dovetail log notching and a massive stone chimney. It stood on the southern edge of Cherokee territory as part of a line of defensive stations organized by Colonel Wafford, and it is a rare surviving example of a fortified station and dwelling. Between 1862 and 1866 Joshua White added a second log pen and a connecting dogtrot, covered the whole building in weatherboard, and built a barn and a shed that remain on the one-acre property. Fort Hollingsworth is among the oldest recorded log houses in Georgia, and dogtrots make up less than one percent of the buildings in the state survey. The porches and dogtrot were enclosed in the 1950s, yet the house keeps much of its original design, craftsmanship and materials. It remains a dwelling.
Significance in brief: It is significant for exploration/settlement as a rare surviving fortified station/dwelling from the earliest permanent white settlement in North Georgia, built under Colonel Wafford on the Cherokee territory boundary. It is also significant in architecture as an outstanding example of a log house that grew from a single-pen building into a dogtrot between 1862 and 1866. It retains a high level of historic integrity despite 1950s porch enclosures.
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 98000973, listed August 6, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Wynn Lake Rd., 2 mi. SE of Hollingsworth, Hollingsworth |
|---|---|
| County | Banks County |
| Listed | August 6, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000973 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1793-1903 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (built by Jacob Hollingsworth in 1793; additions by Joshua White, 1862-1866) |
| Architectural style | Other: dogtrot |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; the porches and dogtrot were enclosed in the 1950s and plumbing was added in the 1960s. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 34.42657, -83.53371 (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 98000973.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5471343
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.