Keese House
Also known as: Slocum Residence
Why it's listed
Built in 1905 at 4 Burgess Street in Lavonia, this two-story frame house was the home of Frank Keese, a hardware merchant who also grew cotton on an eight-acre tract inherited by his wife from the Tribble family. The house follows a cross plan with three projecting gables decorated with half-timbering and turned and cut work at the peaks. A wraparound porch with square piers covers the front bay, and a single central chimney serves six rooms. Most windows are original one-over-one sash, and original tongue and groove paneling survives in two front rooms. A barn from 1906 once sheltered mules for the small farm. After Keese died in 1939, his son John ran a dairy on the land, adding a concrete block building and a second barn in 1940. The property was recognized for its distinctive architecture, its example of a small city farmstead, and its links to local commerce and the Tribble family.
Significance in brief: The house is considered locally significant for its plain design with Victorian-inspired details and a unique central chimney serving six rooms. It also represents a small city farmstead where part-time cotton farming accompanied a downtown business. It is tied to Frank Keese and the prominent Tribble family.
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 83000208, listed September 1, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4 Burgess St., Lavonia |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | September 1, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000208 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Plain style with Victorian-inspired details |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and in use as a residence. |
| Acreage | 7 |
| Coordinates | 34.43265, -83.10921 (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 83000208.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134305434
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.