Simmons, William S., Plantation
Also known as: Wesley House
Why it's listed
Built around 1840 for William S. Simmons, this two-story brick plantation house on Alabama Street in Cave Spring, Georgia, is described as the finest Greek Revival-style plantation house in the local multiple-resource area. Its walls are handmade, load-bearing brick, with flat-arched brick and stone lintels, a low gable roof, temple-form side gables and a central stair hall plan. The interior keeps its original mantels and plaster moldings, and only the porches were changed, in the early twentieth century. The design reads as a vernacular version of the style, perhaps drawn from a builder's guide. Behind the main house stands a smaller one-story double-pen brick house, later used as a kitchen. It is a rare surviving home built for a Cherokee Indian who remained during early white settlement. The house sits on a knoll above cleared floodplain fields, a setting typical of early plantations in the region, and the land remains in agricultural use.
Significance in brief: The form calls it the finest Greek Revival plantation house in the Cave Spring multiple-resource area, with a vernacular treatment of the style and relatively unaltered brick construction. The smaller rear house is a rare surviving residence built for a Cherokee Indian who stayed in the area during early white settlement. The property is also cited for its knoll setting among cleared fields and as a representative early plantation.
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 80001061, listed June 19, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Alabama St., Cave Spring |
|---|---|
| County | Floyd County |
| Listed | June 19, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001061 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and in use as a residence, with continuous agricultural use; porches were changed in the early 20th century. |
| Acreage | 88 |
| Coordinates | 34.09209, -85.34438 (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 80001061.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8018016
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.