Davis, Josiah, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1869, this farmhouse south of Canoochee in Emanuel County, Georgia, follows the Plantation Plain form: two rooms down and two up, a central hall, a shed porch across the front, and a detached kitchen that now forms a rear ell. Walls are wide hand-planed boards, floors and ceilings are heart pine, and carved mantels and marbelized bedroom doors survive. Fireplaces remain the original heating. The house was built by Josiah Davis, a Civil War veteran who farmed corn and cotton on about 318 acres with sharecroppers, many of them former slaves. The form argues the house shows the Plantation Plain style continuing into Reconstruction, an era when little building is often assumed. The farm also keeps its original acreage, a barn, a syrup mill and at least three tenant houses. Together they illustrate a small farm established as large plantations gave way to a new economic order. Few such farms survive intact, which supports its listing for architecture, local history and agriculture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a good example of Plantation Plain architecture carried into the Reconstruction Era, when few houses of this type are documented. It is also significant in local history as the home of Civil War veteran and farmer Josiah Davis. It is significant in agriculture as an intact Reconstruction-era farm that kept its original acreage and worked with sharecroppers.
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 82000145, listed October 5, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S of Canoochee on GA 192, Canoochee |
|---|---|
| County | Emanuel County |
| Listed | October 5, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82000145 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | C. 1869 |
| Architectural style | Plantation Plain |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence; farmland and several outbuildings survive; the house is described as little changed from its construction. |
| Acreage | 321 |
| Coordinates | 32.62835, -82.16354 (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 82000145.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q30622114
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.