Homer Historic District
Also known as: See Also:Banks County Courthouse; Banks County Jail; Homer His
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Why it's listed
Homer is a small county-seat town in Banks County, Georgia, and its central 57 acres hold a varied group of buildings from the mid-1800s to the 1930s. The town was incorporated in 1859 on land donated by William Turk, with sites set aside for a courthouse, jail, school and three churches. It grew on a gridiron plan on a level plateau. The district includes the Greek Revival courthouse, begun in 1860 and completed in 1875, a Gothic-style jail, a row of simple frame Plantation Plain stores, Victorian-eclectic houses and churches, and a Craftsman house built in 1918. Open spaces include the courthouse square with its early well house, Veterans' Park and several cemeteries. Homer was bypassed by the railroad in the late 1880s, but a federal highway reached it by the 1920s and encouraged growth. Its role as county seat, its architecture, its planned layout and its landscape are the main reasons it was listed.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to be significant in architecture for its varied styles, including an unusual row of Plantation Plain commercial buildings, a Greek Revival courthouse and a Gothic-style jail. It is also cited for community planning, landscape architecture, politics and government as the county seat, transportation through its highway link, and local history. The form cites criteria A, B and C, though the final reviewer's recommendation was to accept under A and C.
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 85003110, listed December 3, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Along Main St. and Silver Shoals Rd., Homer |
|---|---|
| County | Banks County |
| Listed | December 3, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003110 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1859 - 1935 |
| Architect / builder | various |
| Architectural style | Plantation Plain, Greek Revival, Gothic, Victorian-eclectic, Georgian Revival, and Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Transportation, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Mostly occupied, in good condition; the original town cemetery is described as neglected and overgrown. Uses include government, commercial, private residence, religious and park. |
| Acreage | 57 |
| Coordinates | 34.33338, -83.49761 (NPS GIS) |
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 85003110.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q49502649
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.