Raoul, William G., House
Why it's listed
Three brick buildings at 848 Peachtree Street in Atlanta make up a rare surviving late 19th-century residential estate. Built in 1891 for railroad executive William G. Raoul and his family, the complex includes a three-story main house, a servants quarters and a carriage house. Architect Bradford Gilbert of New York designed the Queen Anne style buildings and also their interior decorative elements. The house has rose-colored brick walls, slate and heart pine shingles, stained glass windows and detailed millwork. Peachtree Street was once lined with grand houses of Atlanta's prominent families, but nearly all were demolished as commercial development spread north, leaving this group as an unusual survivor. The Raoul family was active in kindergartens, the PTA, women's suffrage, tuberculosis relief and railroads. The Red Cross used the property from 1941 and added an office building in the front yard in 1951. The three historic buildings have seen few changes, though the front porch was removed.
Significance in brief: It is one of the few surviving residences along Peachtree Street and a rare intact domestic complex with its servants quarters and carriage house. It is an excellent example of Queen Anne architecture by noted New York architect Bradford Gilbert. The original form also cites associations with the Raoul family's roles in education, social causes and railroad transportation.
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 86003298, listed December 15, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 848 Peachtree St., Atlanta |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | December 15, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003298 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1891 |
| Architect / builder | Bradford Gilbert, architect |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant except for a caretaker living in the carriage house; the owners plan renovation for commercial use, such as a small hotel, and demolition of the 1951 office building. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.77791, -84.38487 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 86003298.
- 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.