Brannen, James Alonzo, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1881 on South Main Street in downtown Statesboro, this single-story frame house follows an L-shaped plan common in late nineteenth-century Georgia towns. It has weatherboard siding, fish-scale shingles in the gables, a brick foundation and original two-over-two windows. A partially screened porch with tapered wood columns on brick piers was added around 1917. Inside, wood floors, tongue-and-groove ceilings, carved mantels and original coal grates survive. Lawyer James Alonzo Brannen (1858-1923) built the house two years after arriving in town and lived there throughout his career. He served as Statesboro's first mayor in 1889, represented Bulloch County in the legislature, organized two newspapers, and helped found the local telephone company and the Sea Island Bank. The house is the oldest surviving residence in the city and the only one representing homes built before the railroad and cotton industries arrived in the late 1880s. Its few alterations, including a 1950s bathroom addition, have not undermined its integrity.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to James Alonzo Brannen, a lawyer who was Statesboro's first mayor and helped organize its newspapers, telephone company and bank. It is also a relatively intact small-town late Victorian residence. It is the oldest surviving residential building in the city and the only one representing homes built before the railroad and cotton boom of the late 1880s.
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 89001154, listed September 6, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 112 S. Main St./US 301, Statesboro |
|---|---|
| County | Bulloch County |
| Listed | September 6, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001154 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1881-1938 |
| Architect / builder | not known |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne (elements); L-shaped plan type |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single dwelling; the small storage shed behind it has deteriorated and is noncontributing. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.44632, -81.78283 (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 89001154.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q30622037
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.