Pitts, Thomas H., House and Dairy
Also known as: Casa Loma; Pitts Dairy Farm
Why it's listed
Casa Loma and its surrounding dairy buildings form a rare surviving small dairy farm inside Atlanta, at 3105 Cascade Road, S.W. Thomas H. Pitts, who opened one of the city's first soda fountains around 1894, started the dairy about 1910 to supply that business. His family lived first in a cottage, then in the one-and-one-half-story yellow brick bungalow finished by 1919. Behind the house stand a wellhouse, greenhouse, servants' cottage, garage, a steel water tower and three barns. The buildings are largely unaltered, and traces of formal gardens planned with Mrs. Pitts remain. Dairying stopped long ago, and suburban subdivisions now cover the former fields. The estate was recognized because the complex as a whole, rather than any single building, preserves the look of an early-twentieth-century dairy and recalls the rural past of an area that has since been heavily developed.
Significance in brief: The estate is significant for its overall architectural and landscape character and for its role in private dairying in Georgia. It is an intact small dairy farm surviving within metropolitan Atlanta. It also reflects the business of Thomas H. Pitts, who ran a downtown soda fountain supplied by the dairy.
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 79000724, listed June 27, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3105 Cascade Rd., SW, Atlanta |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | June 27, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000724 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1910-1919 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (main house said to have been designed by a Mr. McGoukin) |
| Architectural style | Bungalow with Georgian Revival influence, described as a rather eclectic design |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Overall in relatively good condition; main house excellent, cottage poor. Dairying has ceased, the barns are no longer in use, and the landscaping is overgrown. The house is occupied. |
| Acreage | 16.5 |
| Coordinates | 33.72143, -84.48930 (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 79000724.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.