Rice, John W., Summer Cottage
Also known as: Rock House
Why it's listed
Set into a hillside near the top of a wooded promontory above Nickajack Creek in Smyrna, this two-story fieldstone cottage was built around 1900 as a seasonal home for John W. Rice. It is square in plan with a pyramidal roof, thick mortar joints, three chimneys and windows of varied sizes placed in a seemingly random pattern. Inside, plastered stone walls are chamfered around the openings, and a heavy timber frame carries plank floors and ceilings. Rice ran the Concord Woolen Mills and held patents for several small inventions. The nomination presents the cottage as a rare Georgia example of an unconventional seasonal house, unlike the large Victorian cottages of resort areas. A stone porch replaced the original wooden one, and a mid-twentieth-century frame ell was added at the rear, yet the main block remains largely intact. It is the only surviving structure linked to Rice, since his Atlanta homes are gone and the mills are ruins.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the cottage is an unusual example of a seasonal residence in Georgia, set apart by its fieldstone construction, informal plan and irregular windows. It is also tied to John W. Rice, a woolen mill owner and patented inventor, and it is the only surviving structure associated with his life. The form cites Criteria B and C, and the federal reviewer found local architectural significance.
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 83000189, listed April 8, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 254 Concord Rd., Smyrna |
|---|---|
| County | Cobb County |
| Listed | April 8, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000189 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1900 |
| Architect / builder | Builder/Architect Unknown |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; a rear wood-frame ell and a stone side porch are later additions, and an early streetcar pavilion on the hillside is deteriorated. |
| Acreage | 3.7 |
| Coordinates | 33.84982, -84.55902 (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 83000189.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134289067
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.