Albany Housefurnishing Company
Why it's listed
Built in 1922 at 226 West Broad Avenue in Albany, Georgia, this four-story brick building was designed from the start as a furniture store. Architect J.T. Murphey drew the plans in 1919, a third floor was added in 1922, and local builder J.C. Hind constructed it for B.B. Ivey. Steel I-beams and cast-iron columns support the structure, and the facade combines patterned brick with molded concrete trim, leaded show windows with copper molding, and a tiled entrance hall. Inside, open rooms and a mezzanine let furniture be shown as if in home settings, and the original Otis elevator still runs. Newspaper advertising at its opening called it Georgia's finest furniture store. It is listed for its architecture and its place in local commercial history. It has kept the same use for decades and is one of only three buildings in its block that retain their original character, while many neighbors were altered in the 1970s.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant in architecture and commerce. It was designed as a furniture store with display areas laid out like rooms in a home, and it blends older and newer building techniques. It was hailed at its 1922 opening as "Georgia's Finest Furniture Store" and remains one of the few largely unchanged early-twentieth-century storefronts downtown.
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 82002402, listed June 17, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 226 W. Broad Ave., Albany |
|---|---|
| County | Dougherty County |
| Listed | June 17, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002402 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | J.T. Murphey, Architect; J.C. Hind, Builder |
| Architectural style | No pure style; a transition between nineteenth-century commercial row buildings and simpler twentieth-century forms |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in good condition; it has remained a furniture store since 1922, with no exterior alterations and only interior partition changes. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Albany Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 31.57660, -84.15238 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 82002402.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16895752
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.