Ariail, William, House
Why it's listed
This farm near Carnesville in Franklin County, Georgia, centers on a one-story, wood-framed house begun about 1850 as a two-room, side-gabled double-pen dwelling. In 1896 a gable-front, three-room addition was attached to one side. Weatherboard siding, stone chimneys, double-hung windows, chamfered porch posts with fan-shaped brackets, and patterned gable shingles give it Folk Victorian character. Around it stand a well house, smokehouse, milk house, grain storage building, corn crib, and several barns, with a stone retaining wall nearby. William Ariail bought the farm in 1851, when the house already stood on it, and he gave the house and part of the land to his son James in 1881. Like most farms in the Old Federal Road area of Banks and Franklin Counties, it was a small subsistence operation growing corn, oats, wheat, and vegetables, with cotton as a minor cash crop. It was listed for its architecture and for its unusually intact record of that farming life, from c. 1850 to 1946.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a good example of a mid-19th century double-pen farmhouse enlarged in the late 19th century, with Folk Victorian details. The surviving outbuildings are called excellent examples of those built on a small north Georgia farm. The property is also described as an unusually intact small farm complex along the Old Federal Road.
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 96001297, listed November 7, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | GA 51, approximately .25 mi. SE of the Banks--Franklin County line, Carnesville |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | November 7, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96001297 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1850-1946 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Folk Victorian; double-pen with rear and side additions |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed current function is single dwelling; the farm is still owned and farmed by the Ariail family. |
| Acreage | 20 |
| Coordinates | 34.36502, -83.38465 (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 96001297.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134305083
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.