Upson House
Also known as: Franklin-Gazaway-Long-Upson House
Why it's listed
Built in 1847 for Dr. Marcus A. Franklin, this two-story brick house at 1022 Prince Avenue in Athens, Georgia, is a full-blown example of Greek Revival design. Its south-facing front has a two-story Doric portico, five bays, and stucco scored to look like stone. An Ionic-style entablature crowns the Doric columns, and a high hip roof and narrow triple-hung windows give it a vertical emphasis unusual for the style. The house sits close to the ground with no basement. Inside, a central hall plan, simple pilaster woodwork and ceilings over twelve feet high define the original rooms. Stephen Upson bought the property in 1885 and added rear wings, parquet floors, tiled fireplaces and a mahogany staircase. Deed and census research showed the house dates to 1847 rather than the earlier 1840 date once cited. Later owners included Gazaway D. Lamar and James Long, father of physician Crawford W. Long. Its architectural quality and its place among Athens' great Greek Revival mansions led to its listing.
Significance in brief: The nomination holds that the house is one of the best examples of a Greek Revival mansion in Athens, a city known for such buildings. Its unusual features include a stuccoed brick facade made to resemble stone, a high hip roof, narrow triple-hung windows that emphasize verticality, and construction directly at ground level without a basement. Research for the nomination also corrected earlier claims by dating the house to 1847 and naming Dr. Franklin as the builder.
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 73000616, listed November 15, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1022 Prince Ave., Athens |
|---|---|
| County | Clarke County |
| Listed | November 15, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000616 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (built 1847, additions 1885) |
| Architect / builder | Dr. Marcus A. Franklin (built for) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good and altered; occupied as a private residence. The main block has no external alterations, only late 19th-century rear additions. The family sought to preserve the property amid development pressure. |
| Acreage | 7 |
| Within district | West Hancock Avenue Historic District |
| Coordinates | 33.95408, -83.39421 (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 73000616.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134286542
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.