Mulherin-Righton Raised Tybee Cottage
Why it's listed
Built around 1933-1935 at 14 8th Place on Tybee Island, Georgia, this raised beach cottage was a summer house for Harold and Margaret Mulherin of Savannah. Later, from 1939 to 1958, Dr. and Mrs. Harry Righton used it as a seaside retreat. The frame house has a hip roof with overhanging eaves and a wraparound porch, and its main living quarters sit on wood posts above a lattice-screened ground level. That level held servant quarters, bath and changing rooms, and two auto stalls. Inside, the original unpainted heart-pine walls, ceilings and floors survive, along with a brick fireplace and pine mantel. Alterations include asbestos shingles over the clapboard and a porch enclosure in the 1990s. The cottage is recognized as an excellent example of the raised Tybee cottage, a type found only on Tybee Island, and as a reminder of the island's growth as the Georgia coast's only middle-class resort. Many similar cottages have been demolished as land values rose.
Significance in brief: The cottage is argued to be an excellent, largely intact example of the raised Tybee cottage, a house type unique to Tybee Island. It also represents the first period of intensive resort development on the island, the only middle-class resort on the Georgia coast. Many similar cottages have been demolished in recent years, which makes surviving examples more important.
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 08000349, listed April 29, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 14 8th Pl., Tybee Island |
|---|---|
| County | Chatham County |
| Listed | April 29, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000349 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1933-1935 - 1958 |
| Architectural style | Other: raised Tybee 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 dwelling; the form says it retains a high level of historic integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 32.00284, -80.84463 (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 08000349.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134149666
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.