Morgan-Ille Cottage
Why it's listed
This small frame cottage at 703 2nd Avenue on Tybee Island, Georgia, began life around 1930 at Fort Screven, where it housed noncommissioned officers. After the army sold its residential buildings in 1946, the cottage was moved to its present lot and remodeled as a single-family home, gaining a full-width front porch and two bedrooms and a small kitchen at the rear. It is one story, raised on concrete piers, clad in weatherboard, and topped with a side-gable metal roof. A 1970s remodeling covered much of the original material with brick veneer and paneling, but a 2006 rehabilitation removed those additions and kept the historic floor plan. The cottage is recognized as a good example of the modest beach houses built by middle-class families in the 1930s and 1940s, and as one of the few intact survivors of Tybee's early resort development. It also reflects the island's postwar growth into a year-round community.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the cottage is a good example of the small frame beach cottages built by middle-class families on Tybee Island in the 1930s and 1940s. It also represents the island's shift from seasonal resort to year-round community after World War II, and one of the few intact cottages surviving from Tybee's early resort era. Its Fort Screven origin ties it to the island's military history.
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 08000713, listed July 24, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 703 2nd Ave., Tybee Island |
|---|---|
| County | Chatham County |
| Listed | July 24, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000713 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1930-1958 |
| Architectural style | Other: Seaside cottage |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single-family dwelling; rehabilitated in 2006 to uncover historic materials hidden by 1970s remodeling. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 32.00501, -80.84579 (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 08000713.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134272831
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.