Upper Avenue A Historic District
Why it's listed
Upper Avenue A Historic District is a residential neighborhood of about 20 acres on the west bank of the Oostanaula River in Rome, Georgia. It began as part of DeSoto, a suburban village laid out by Rome entrepreneurs and land companies in the 1870s and 1880s. DeSoto was annexed by Rome in 1885 and became the Fourth Ward. A bridge built in 1886, a streetcar line and nearby industries drove rapid growth. Most houses date from 1880 to 1920. Larger frame houses along Avenue A, with porches, brackets, decorative shingles, scrollwork and stained glass, were homes of business and professional men. Smaller one-story houses of two to four rooms, found at the north end and scattered elsewhere, were built for factory workers. Together they show how Rome's middle-class and working-class residents lived near one another, a pattern typical of Rome. The district was listed for its planning history, its architecture and its local history.
Significance in brief: The district is significant for community planning and development, architecture, and local history. It began as part of DeSoto, an early suburb of Rome later annexed by the city. Its intact houses document two types of housing, one for middle-class business and professional families and one for factory workers. It was home to both groups of Rome residents.
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 83000198, listed September 1, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Oostanaula River, Turner-McCall Blvd., Avenue B and W. 11th St., Rome |
|---|---|
| County | Floyd County |
| Listed | September 1, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000198 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1880s - 1920s |
| Architect / builder | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Late-Victorian detailing on larger frame houses; modest early-twentieth century working-class houses |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked good and altered, with an original site. The district is largely private residences, and the form marks it both occupied and unoccupied. |
| Acreage | 20 |
| Coordinates | 34.26330, -85.17414 (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 83000198.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q49573472
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.