North Erwin Street Historic District
Also known as: See also:Bartow County Courthouse; Sam Jones Memorial Method
Why it's listed
Clustered around the intersection of North Erwin and Cherokee Streets in downtown Cartersville, this small district holds six historic buildings and a Confederate monument that reflect the growth of a Georgia county seat in the early twentieth century. The 1902 Bartow County Courthouse, with its Corinthian portico and gilded dome, anchors the group. Nearby are the 1914-15 Italian Renaissance Revival post office with marble arches, the 1916 city hall and fire station, the 1904-05 Romanesque Revival First Baptist Church, the 1906 Sam Jones Memorial Methodist Church, and a 1940 telephone office designed to resemble a house. The district was listed for its architecture, much of it by prominent Atlanta and regional designers, and for its role in county, federal and city government and in the town's religious life. The Methodist church was named in memory of evangelist Sam P. Jones, who died during its construction in 1906. A 1947 dental office is the only noncontributing building.
Significance in brief: The district is significant in architecture for good examples of early 20th century public building styles and for intact community landmark and commercial building types. It is also significant in government and politics, because the county, federal and city governments are each represented, and in religion, through two long-established churches. Many buildings were designed by locally and regionally prominent architects.
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 94001071, listed September 16, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of N. Erwin and Cherokee Sts., Cartersville |
|---|---|
| County | Bartow County |
| Listed | September 16, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94001071 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1902-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Bartow County Courthouse: Kenneth McDonald & Company and J.W. Golucke & Company (contractor Fred Wagner); Sam Jones Memorial Methodist Church: Walter T. Downing (architect), Eugene W. Smith (contractor); First Baptist Church: J.W. Golucke; former City Hall: R.W. and E.W. Smith (contractors); former U.S. Post Office: John W. Emery and Oscar Wenderoth |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Romanesque; Colonial Revival; Classical Revival; Italian Renaissance |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Buildings remain in use: the courthouse, the former post office and former Southern Bell office house government offices, the former City Hall houses the Fire Department, and both churches and a medical office remain in use. |
| Acreage | 7 |
| Within district | Cartersville Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 34.16601, -84.79725 (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 94001071.
- 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.