Rivers Farm
Also known as: Davis House
Why it's listed
Rivers Farm is a two-story timber-frame plantation house built around 1850 for Joseph Rivers on Rome Street in Cave Spring, Georgia. Its builder is unknown. The house has a rectangular plan, a low hip roof, interior rear-wall chimneys, weatherboard siding and a three-bay front with a recessed porch and a one-story colonnade of square piers. A shed-like extension projects from the rear, and several wood-frame farm outbuildings stand to the northwest. The house sits on level ground beside Little Cedar Creek, which is unusual because most early houses were placed on higher, drier ground. It is considered a vernacular version of Greek Revival design, and its boxy massing, recessed porch and rear shed make it unusual among local examples. The surrounding cleared floodplain fields, large hardwood trees and lawn preserve the look of the rural landscape. The farm was once much larger and reached its present 66 acres as early landholdings were divided. It has been farmed continuously and remains a residence in good condition.
Significance in brief: The house is significant as an unusual vernacular interpretation of Greek Revival architecture, with boxy massing, a recessed porch and a rear shed. Its setting of cleared floodplain fields, large trees and lawn represents the historic rural landscape. It also represents the early to mid-19th century plantations and the settlement that followed the opening of the land to white 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 80001051, listed June 19, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Rome St., Cave Spring |
|---|---|
| County | Floyd County |
| Listed | June 19, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001051 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, in use as a residence, and in continuous agricultural use since it was first developed as a farm. |
| Acreage | 66 |
| Coordinates | 34.11901, -85.33840 (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 80001051.
- 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.