Sullivan-Hillyer House
Why it's listed
Located north of downtown Rome, Georgia, this two-story brick house at 309 East Second Avenue was built between 1860 and 1869, most likely around 1868 by Dr. Eben Hillyer, a physician, and his wife Georgia. It is a gabled ell house with Italianate details, including a low hipped roof, wide eaves on decorative brackets, and tall one-over-one windows. Its irregular interior plan retains original floors, trim, ceilings and built-in furniture. Italianate houses are uncommon in Georgia, and gabled ell houses of this size are rare, making up only 258 of more than 57,000 surveyed resources. Members of the Hillyer family lived here for almost 50 years. Rear additions were made in the 1920s, and the building became a three-unit apartment house in the late 1940s. After decades of deterioration, it was rehabilitated in the late 1990s and now serves as law offices. It was recognized for its architecture at the local level.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C in architecture as an excellent example of a gabled ell house built in the Italianate style. Italianate houses are relatively rare in Georgia because of the popularity of Greek Revival and the effects of the Civil War on construction. Gabled ell houses are also uncommon: only 258 of over 57,000 resources in the state survey are of this type.
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 02001215, listed October 21, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 309 E. Second Ave., Rome |
|---|---|
| County | Floyd County |
| Listed | October 21, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02001215 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1868-1952 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated in the late 1990s and certified for the tax incentive program in 1999; currently used as law offices. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Between the Rivers Historic District |
| Coordinates | 34.25014, -85.17144 (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 02001215.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134304886
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.