Swainsboro Light and Water Plant
Why it's listed
Two blocks east of the courthouse square in Swainsboro, this utilities complex once supplied the town with both electricity and water. Completed in 1921-1922 beside the railroads, it centers on a one-story brick power plant with arched openings and a corbelled cornice. Nearby are a deep well and well house, a 200,000-gallon concrete reservoir, a 110-foot elevated steel water tank, a brick pump house and a chlorine storage tank. Coal-fired boilers made steam for dynamos that powered the pumps and served city residents. Voters approved bonds in 1919 and 1920 to pay for the project, and the Atlanta firm J.B. McCrary Engineering was chosen to build it. The complex was listed for its engineering value as a largely intact rural Georgia utility system and for what it shows about local government action to bring modern services to residents. Its period of significance runs from 1921 to 1954. The property is now vacant, and the city plans a water and power museum.
Significance in brief: The complex is argued to be an excellent example of an early 20th-century municipal utilities complex in rural Georgia (engineering). It also represents a small-town government's effort, backed by bond votes and citizen support, to supply electricity and water to residents (politics/government).
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 04001184, listed October 27, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Bounded by East Moring and South Coleman Sts. and the Norfolk Southern Railway, Swainsboro |
|---|---|
| County | Emanuel County |
| Listed | October 27, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04001184 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1921-1954 |
| Architect / builder | J.B. McCrary Engineering Company |
| Architectural style | Other: early 20th-century industrial building |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed current function is vacant/not in use; the power equipment no longer remains, while the pumping equipment is intact. The city plans to rehabilitate it as a water and power museum. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.59658, -82.33141 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 04001184.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q30622165
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.