Stevenson House and Brickyard
Also known as: Westmoreland Residence
Why it's listed
Built in the late 1890s by Will Edgar Stevenson, this one-and-one-half story brick house on Hartwell Road in Lavonia combines a family home with the remains of a working brickyard. Stevenson was a local builder known for his skill in brick construction, and he also made bricks in an area behind the house. The house follows a central hall plan, with a gabled roof, segmental-arched windows and doors, two internal chimneys, and a wraparound porch. Its brick pattern of six rows of stretchers to one row of headers matches that of the nearby Cheek House. Four outbuildings stand in the rear yard, two of them brick, and clay pits used for brickmaking survive. The property is considered the first brick residence built in the Lavonia area and the only remaining example of a historic brickyard in the city. Such small-scale brickyards were once common and are now very rare. It remains a residence.
Significance in brief: It is described as the first brick residence built within the Lavonia multiple resource area and the home of a local brick maker and builder who worked on several brick buildings there. It is also the only surviving historic brickyard in Lavonia, with clay pits and outbuildings still extant. Such brickyards were once common but are now very rare.
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 83000219, 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 | 83000219 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Will Edgar Stevenson |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In use as a residence; described as in good condition, with four outbuildings in the rear yard. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.43395, -83.10217 (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 83000219.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134305488
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.