Burns Cottage
Also known as: Burns Club of Atlanta
Why it's listed
Burns Cottage, at 988 Alloway Place, S.E., in Atlanta, is a low, slightly curved, one-story clubhouse of Georgia granite. It replicates the Scottish birthplace of poet Robert Burns. Architect Thomas H. Morgan, a club member, adapted detailed drawings of the original cottage, substituting native granite for Scottish rubble and cement mortar for clay and grass. The interior keeps the traditional but and ben rooms, while the barn and byre area became an assembly hall for meetings. Fellow member Robert M. McWhirter, a skilled stoneworker, built it, and it opened on January 25, 1911, the poet's birthday. The Burns Club of Atlanta, organized in 1896 and incorporated in 1907, still meets there. Marble medallions by stonecarver James Watt and Burns memorabilia decorate the rooms. Later changes include a rear addition, a concrete floor in the assembly room, and a roof originally thatched but later replaced with shingles. The site is about 2.12 acres and includes a caretaker's house.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant in architecture as an unusual adaptation of a Scottish cottage to Southern materials and climate, and as a work of Thomas H. Morgan. It is also significant socially as the meeting house of the Burns Club of Atlanta, and commemoratively because it was built to honor the poet Robert Burns. It is said to be the only such replica in the world.
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 83003572, listed December 1, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 988 Alloway Pl., SE, Atlanta |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | December 1, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003572 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific date 1911) |
| Architect / builder | Thomas H. Morgan, Architect; Robert M. McWhirter, builder |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as the clubhouse of the Burns Club of Atlanta; condition listed as excellent and altered, with a rear kitchen, porch and restroom addition. |
| Acreage | 2.1 |
| Coordinates | 33.72707, -84.35544 (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 83003572.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5000066
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.