McAdoo, William Gibbs, House
Also known as: McAdoo-Oatman-Atkinson House
Why it's listed
Set about 200 yards back from U.S. Highway 5 southwest of Marietta, this one-and-a-half-story Greek Revival house dates to about 1850. It rests on a coursed fieldstone basement and has a heavy timber frame, weatherboard siding, nine-over-nine windows and a pedimented portico with four square Doric columns. Inside, two rooms flank a central hall. Though some mantels, trim and balusters have been removed, the house survives as one of few antebellum plantations left in an area ravaged by the Civil War. Its owners included a merchant and court clerk, a minister who ran a boarding school there, and attorney William Gibbs McAdoo Sr., whose son William Gibbs McAdoo Jr. was born in the house in October 1863. The son became Secretary of the Treasury under Woodrow Wilson and a U.S. senator from California. The house came through the 1864 Battle of Kolb's Farm with slight damage and is the only surviving Georgia structure tied to McAdoo.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of few antebellum plantation houses to survive in an area devastated by the Civil War. It is the birthplace of William Gibbs McAdoo, later Secretary of the Treasury under Woodrow Wilson, and the only surviving structure in Georgia associated with his life. It is also a fine example of a Greek Revival raised cottage.
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 78000975, listed November 17, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Marietta on GA 5, Marietta |
|---|---|
| County | Cobb County |
| Listed | November 17, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000975 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1850 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (raised cottage) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence rented to tenants; the form lists its condition as deteriorated, with original fireplaces, mantels, some trim and stair balusters removed. |
| Acreage | 12 |
| Coordinates | 33.90854, -84.60495 (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 78000975.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q55637712
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.