Hampton, Cora Beck, Schoolhouse and House
Also known as: Holleyman School
Why it's listed
Located a few blocks west of downtown Decatur, Georgia, this property combines a one-and-one-half-story frame cottage with an attached one-room schoolhouse. Cora Beck Hampton, a widow, bought the lot in 1885 and taught roughly 25 to 30 white boys and girls here from about 1892 until 1902, when Decatur opened its public school system. The schoolhouse is a plain clapboard room of about 25 by 15 feet with a 12-foot ceiling, seven double-hung windows, a coal-burning fireplace and heart pine woodwork. It sits on brick pillars. The cottage is a typical late 19th century in-town house with simple, unadorned design. The nomination values the pair as a rare Georgia survivor: a one-room school still on its original site, restored, and set in an urban area. It is also the only remaining Decatur schoolhouse from the era of private schools, which were usually named for their teachers. Both buildings are counted as contributing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a very rare surviving pairing of a one-room school and the teacher's house on one lot. It is the only remaining schoolhouse in Decatur from before the city created a public school system in 1902. The schoolhouse embodies the plain, functional one-room school type, and the house is a typical vernacular in-town cottage of the era.
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 92000366, listed April 16, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 213 Hillyer Pl., Decatur |
|---|---|
| County | DeKalb County |
| Listed | April 16, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000366 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1892-1902 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house is in use as a residence and has been restored; the schoolhouse was restored to its original historic character. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.77388, -84.28999 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 92000366.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134296363
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.