Cave Spring Residential Historic District
Why it's listed
Alabama Road and Rivers Street in Cave Spring, Georgia, form a 24-acre residential neighborhood of detached, wood-framed houses and two churches. Homes range from large mansions by local standards to small cottages, built from the mid-nineteenth to the early twentieth century. Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Victorian Eclectic, Queen Anne and Bungalow styles all appear, and the unusually large number of Gothic Revival houses and a Gothic Revival church stand out in a state dominated by Greek Revival. Uniform setbacks, street trees and informally landscaped front yards tie the blocks together. The neighborhood grew along a major street in a gridiron town as merchants, industrialists and educators built homes near the spring's commercial and school activity. Methodists received land for a church in 1856 and built their current church in 1882, while the Presbyterian church dates to about 1870. The district was recognized for architecture, landscape architecture, community development, religion and local history.
Significance in brief: The district is significant for its concentration of varied nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century houses, unified by uniform setbacks, limited materials and landscaping. It is also significant for landscape architecture, community planning, religion and local history, as a neighborhood built by merchants, industrialists and educators. The number of Gothic Revival houses and the Gothic Revival church is noted as unusual in a state dominated by Greek Revival.
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 80001035, listed June 19, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | U.S. 411 and GA 100, Cave Spring |
|---|---|
| County | Floyd County |
| Listed | June 19, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001035 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Victorian Eclectic, Queen Anne and Bungalow |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The Presbyterian church has not been used since 1977; the Methodist church still functions. A brick apartment building and ranch houses are noted as intrusions. |
| Acreage | 24 |
| Coordinates | 34.10825, -85.33950 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 80001035.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q34915740
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.