Fowler Family Farm
Why it's listed
Southwest of Cumming in fast-growing Forsyth County, Georgia, this ten-acre farm preserves a complete early-20th-century agricultural setting. Alonzo Fowler, a successful farmer, built the one-and-a-half-story Craftsman bungalow in 1922 along with a smokehouse, horse and mule barn, and corncrib and cowshed. A 1933 renter's house and outhouses housed farm workers. As cotton faltered under the boll weevil and the Great Depression, the Fowlers turned to chickens, cattle and pasture. In 1945 Fowler built an experimental two-story chicken house, which proved impractical, and in 1947 he added two long one-story chicken houses set farther from the home. The property was listed for its agricultural importance, showing the diversification of Georgia farming, and for its architecture, including the intact house and outbuildings. Forsyth County bought the land in 2001 and plans to rehabilitate the buildings as a passive park with displays on farm life.
Significance in brief: The farm is argued to be an excellent, intact example of an early-to-mid-20th-century Georgia farm. It reflects the shift from cotton to poultry and cattle in the 1940s after the boll weevil and the Great Depression. Its Craftsman-style house and intact outbuildings, including an experimental two-story chicken house and a renter's house complex, add architectural significance.
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 03000200, listed April 11, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3813 Atlanta Highway, Cumming |
|---|---|
| County | Forsyth County |
| Listed | April 11, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000200 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1922-1953 |
| Architect / builder | Alonzo Fowler (builder of the main house and outbuildings) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements: Bungalow/Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by Forsyth County; current function listed as work in progress, with the house and outbuildings being rehabilitated and preserved for use as a passive park. |
| Acreage | 10 |
| Coordinates | 34.15411, -84.21037 (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 03000200.
- 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.