Adams House
Also known as: Adams Residence
Why it's listed
Built in 1908 on Hartwell Road in Lavonia, this one-story frame house was commissioned by William A. Adams, a former farmer near Carnesville who moved to town after a bout of typhoid fever. Local builder Jack Grubbs helped construct it on a five-acre tract near the edge of the city. The house follows a central hall plan, with a wraparound porch on slender chamfered posts, a high hipped roof and six projecting gables. Its best-known feature is a wooden arch on fluted square columns separating the entrance foyer from the hall. Adams worked as superintendent at the Southern Cotton Oil Seed Company while keeping a small farm with cotton, corn, a garden, cows, chickens and hogs. The property is recognized for its vernacular late Victorian design, its example of a small family farm, and its link to a local resident who combined mill work with farming. It remains a residence in good condition.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a good example of vernacular late Victorian architecture from the early 1900s, notable for the arched opening between its entrance foyer and central hall. It also represents the small family farm of the area. It is locally significant as the home of W. A. Adams, who combined a mill superintendent's job with small-scale farming.
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 83000199, listed September 1, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Hartwell Rd., Lavonia |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | September 1, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000199 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | W. A. Adams/Jack Grubbs |
| Architectural style | Vernacular late Victorian |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence and described as in good condition; the original five-acre tract is now mostly wooded in pines. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 34.43130, -83.09340 (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 83000199.
- 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.