Butler, James And Clara, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1890 at 418 College Street in Blakely, Georgia, this one-story frame house combines a Georgian cottage plan, with two rooms flanking a center hall, and Folk Victorian decoration. The full-width porch has chamfered posts, scrollwork, a turned balustrade and unusual wainscoting. Other features include sidelights, a transom, scalloped bargeboard and a gable ornament. Inside, heart-pine floors, original paneled doors, beaded-board and tongue-and-groove walls, and two original mantels survive. The lot was sold in 1890 to Clara Fryer Butler, whose husband James owned a cotton gin and several sawmills in the Blakely area. Her daughter Mattie acquired the house in 1941 and lived there until 1987. A state survey found it to be one of only two Folk Victorian Georgian cottages among 127 historic single-family houses surveyed in the city, which is the basis for its listing for architecture. A recent rehabilitation adapted it as an assisted-living home.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C as a good example of a Folk Victorian-style Georgian cottage. A state survey found it to be one of only two such houses among 127 historic single-family houses surveyed in Blakely. It keeps its original exterior details, center-hall plan and many interior finishes.
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 01001430, listed January 11, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 418 College St., Blakely |
|---|---|
| County | Early County |
| Listed | January 11, 2002 |
| Reference number | 01001430 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1890 |
| Architectural style | Folk Victorian (style); Georgian cottage (type) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a multiple dwelling following a certified rehabilitation for an assisted-living home. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.37912, -84.94077 (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 01001430.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q55614908
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.