Alston, Robert A., House
Also known as: Meadow Nook
Why it's listed
Meadow Nook is a story-and-a-half wooden house built around 1860 in what was then rural DeKalb County, now the East Lake area of Atlanta. Its plain Georgian cottage form is enriched with Greek Revival details, including Doric columns, trabeated doors, French doors opening to a wrap-around porch, and dormers. Inside are a central hall with an oval spiral staircase and Italian and Austrian marble mantels. The house was built for Robert A. Alston, a Georgia-born attorney who moved here during the Civil War. Union General John Schofield used it as headquarters during the Battle of Atlanta. After the war Alston edited the Atlanta Daily Herald, served in the state legislature, and opposed the convict lease system. He was killed in a duel at the State Capitol in 1879. The house retains most of its original floors, mantels, doors and moldings. It is one of few Atlanta houses surviving from the Civil War era.
Significance in brief: The house is significant in architecture as a remarkably intact late antebellum Georgian cottage with Greek Revival details and extensive original materials. It is also tied to Robert A. Alston, a newspaper editor and state legislator who opposed the convict lease system and was killed in a duel in 1879. It is one of the few Atlanta houses surviving from the Civil War period.
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 04000683, listed July 14, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2420 Alston Dr., SE off Eastlake Rd., Atlanta |
|---|---|
| County | DeKalb County |
| Listed | July 14, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000683 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1860-1879 |
| Architect / builder | Marshall, Andrew, traditionally the local builder/carpenter |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century: Greek Revival style; Georgian Cottage house type |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single dwelling; a wing was added and the original Doric columns were replaced with replicas by the current owners. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.74752, -84.30794 (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 04000683.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6803268
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.