Hopkins, John M., Cabin
Also known as: Quarters #12 - Quest Cabin
Why it's listed
Set in a live oak hammock beside the Suwannee Canal at Camp Cornelia, this log cabin was built around 1927 by Hebard Cypress Company employees. Its end-notched heart-pine logs rest on heart-pine sleepers and hexagonal blocks, and the interior holds four rooms. The Civilian Conservation Corps encampment of 1937 to 1941 added a chimney, running water, electricity and a septic system, and asphalt shingles later replaced the original cypress shingles. The cabin was associated with John M. Hopkins, a Darien lawyer who first surveyed the swamp's timber in 1900 and became the Hebard company's field director. He advised naturalists, supported the Okefenokee Preservation Society, and helped win federal protection for the swamp. When the refuge was created in 1937, he became its first manager and served until 1945. The cabin is also notable as a late example of log construction, a method that had mostly given way to frame building by the 1920s.
Significance in brief: The cabin is the last tangible evidence in the area of John M. Hopkins, the man most closely associated with the exploration, timber harvesting and eventual federal preservation of the Okefenokee Swamp. It is also a relatively late example of vernacular log construction, built when frame building had largely replaced logs.
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 83000186, listed March 4, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Folkston, off GA 121/23, Folkston |
|---|---|
| County | Charlton County |
| Listed | March 4, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000186 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900 present (specific date: unknown, circa 1927) |
| Architect / builder | Hebard Cypress Company Employees |
| Architectural style | South Georgia vernacular log structure |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Conservation, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied, in fair condition and altered; used as Quarters #12/Guest Cabin within Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 30.73895, -82.12785 (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 83000186.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q30626934
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.