Roberts, Alfred W., House
Why it's listed
Set on a hilltop near the center of Ball Ground, this large two-story wood-frame house grew in stages over roughly eighty years. Its core, believed to date from the mid-1850s, was a plantation plain house with two rooms over two and a central hall. Rooms and Victorian detailing were added in the late 1880s, and between 1910 and 1920 a front porch with Doric columns and a balustrade brought in Classical touches. The result is an unusual eclectic blend typical of small southern towns. Alfred W. Roberts (1844-1918), a Confederate veteran, merchant, banker and real estate developer, bought the property around 1890 and remodeled it. His family founded the Roberts Marble Company and the Roberts Store, and the Roberts brothers built a dam that brought the town its first electricity. The grounds retain marble walks, benches, urns, birdbaths, a rock garden, a pet cemetery, mature trees and several outbuildings, including a log pump house and a barn.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant in architecture, landscape architecture and local history. It is an evolved house that combines plantation plain, Victorian and Classical elements and reflects changing tastes between 1855 and 1932. Its landscaped grounds include a rock garden, marble features and a pet cemetery. It is also tied to Alfred W. Roberts, a merchant, banker and early town leader of Ball Ground.
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 85002313, listed September 11, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | GA 372, Ball Ground |
|---|---|
| County | Cherokee County |
| Listed | September 11, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002313 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1855-1932 |
| Architectural style | Victorian eclectic with classical detailing (combining plantation plain, Victorian and Classical elements) |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; condition listed as good and altered, on its original site. Descendants of Alfred W. Roberts maintain and live on the property. |
| Acreage | 26 |
| Within district | Ball Ground Historic District |
| Coordinates | 34.34397, -84.37924 (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 85002313.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134281769
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.