Queen House
Also known as: Harris Property
Why it's listed
Built in 1908 on Hartwell Road in Lavonia, this one-and-one-half story frame house was the residence of R. H. Queen, a brick mason who had moved from North Carolina in the community's early years. Queen and relatives, including a brother and three sons, worked in the trade, building numerous structures in the Lavonia area and taking part in projects in Atlanta, including work on the Sears and Roebuck Building. The house follows a central hall plan with a hipped and gabled metal roof, a front porch on square wooden columns, one-over-one windows and a single diamond-shaped vent window in the front gable. Detailing is minimal, as in many Lavonia houses of the period. A bath was added in 1940, and part of the rear porch was later enclosed as a bedroom. The Queen family kept the house until the 1930s, and it has been a rental since 1955. It is valued as a typical Victorian-era Lavonia house and as the home of a local builder.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a representative example of Victorian-era house design in Lavonia, with a nearly square plan, high hipped roof with multiple gables, central hall and front and rear porches. It was also the home of a local brick mason whose family built other brick buildings in the area. Houses like it give Lavonia its character as a turn-of-the-century boom town.
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 83000217, 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 | 83000217 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | R. H. Queen |
| Architectural style | Victorian-era |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In fair condition and used as a rental. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.43190, -83.09015 (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 83000217.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134305480
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.