Brazeal, Dr. Brailsford R., House
Also known as: Brazeal House
Why it's listed
Built in 1927 by the Adair Construction Company, this two-story brick house on Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard in Atlanta follows the American Foursquare form, with a low pyramidal roof, a full-width front porch and modest Craftsman details. It sits just west of the Morehouse College campus. Dr. Brailsford R. Brazeal, a Morehouse economics professor, bought it in 1940 and lived there until his death in 1981. He kept a home office upstairs and often hosted students, faculty and alumni. Brazeal later served as the college's first Dean of Academics, helped bring a Phi Beta Kappa chapter to Morehouse in 1967, and wrote The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (1946), a widely reviewed study of the Pullman porters' union. He updated the kitchen and bathroom in the mid-1950s and added a ranch-style family room in 1962. The house remains largely as he left it, with original plaster, woodwork and lighting fixtures, and is recognized for its link to his career and for its architecture.
Significance in brief: It is the surviving building most closely tied to Dr. Brailsford R. Brazeal, a Morehouse College teacher, dean and scholar who lived and kept a home office there from 1940 until his death in 1981. The form argues national significance in education and Black ethnic heritage, citing his teaching, mentoring and his 1946 book on the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. It is also considered significant as an example of 1920s house architecture.
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 05000278, listed April 8, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 193 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd., Atlanta |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | April 8, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000278 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1927-1972 |
| Architect / builder | Adair Construction Company (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements: Bungalow/Craftsman; Other: American Foursquare |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Black, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; the house is described as essentially unchanged since 1981, with a former garage demolished. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.75111, -84.41790 (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 05000278.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134314775
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.