Dill House
Why it's listed
Built around 1830 for General John Dill, this frame house at 102 South Washington Street in Fort Gaines, Georgia, began as a residence and later became a hotel. Dill came to Georgia in 1817 as an aide to General Edmund P. Gaines and commanded Fort Gaines. After the 1826 cession of Indian lands he became one of the town's first merchants, adding a tannery, brick kiln and cotton warehouses. In the 1890s Mrs. S. R. Raymur bought the house, remodelled it in the Victorian style and added rooms. The double verandah, gabled front and carved interior woodwork reflect that work, and the earliest rooms are hard to identify. The house was listed because it is one of the oldest remaining in the settlement and because local residents value Dill's story and the legends about him. At the time of listing the building was in fair condition, with a collapsed section of verandah and a leaking roof.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of the oldest remaining houses in the pioneer settlement of Fort Gaines. General Dill was a prominent citizen and original settler, and local legends about him and his house remain part of the town's local 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 75000582, listed May 6, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 102 S. Washington St., Fort Gaines |
|---|---|
| County | Clay County |
| Listed | May 6, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75000582 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival and Queen Anne elements; Victorian remodelling |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in fair condition; used as a private residence. Parts of the house are decaying, the roof leaks at the rear, and part of the second-floor verandah has collapsed. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Within district | Fort Gaines Historic District |
| Coordinates | 31.60642, -85.04836 (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 75000582.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q48835596
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.