Carroll-Harper House
Also known as: Harper House
Why it's listed
Built in the 1840s on Cedartown Street in Cave Spring, this one-story frame house is a modest example of Greek Revival design. It has a nearly square plan, a low hip roof, two interior chimneys, weatherboard siding, and a five-bay front facade with a central doorway framed by engaged columns, side lights and a transom. A rear ell connects to what may have been a separate kitchen. The front porch, with chamfered square posts and lattice balustrade, reflects later Victorian woodworking tastes. Elizabeth H. Wright was the original owner. John M. Carroll, an early settler and co-owner of the grist mill, later held it, and then Alexander Harper, whose family kept it until 1894. The house matters as one of few small antebellum Greek Revival dwellings in the Cave Spring area, shaped by a local carpenter-builder working from experience, pattern books and current fashion. Its site near the spring is typical of early settlement after 1832.
Significance in brief: It is one of a few small antebellum Greek Revival houses in the Cave Spring area. Its plan and detailing are representative of the type, with a later Victorian-style porch, and it reflects a vernacular treatment by a local carpenter-builder. It also represents the kind of dwelling built by settlers after the land opened to settlement in 1832.
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 80001023, listed June 19, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Cedartown St., Cave Spring |
|---|---|
| County | Floyd County |
| Listed | June 19, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001023 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and used as a rental residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Rolator Park Historic District |
| Coordinates | 34.10381, -85.33619 (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 80001023.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.