Smith, Tullie, House
Why it's listed
Tullie Smith House is a two-story clapboard farmhouse with a low gable roof, a brick chimney at each end and a shed roof across the rear. Built about 1835-40 by Robert H. Smith, who came from North Carolina and settled in DeKalb County, it is a surviving example of what architectural historian Frederick Doveton Nichols called the "plantation plain" style. A small braced-frame kitchen building with a rock-and-brick chimney accompanies it and is believed to be the only detached kitchen still standing in the Atlanta area. As expressways and office parks grew around the property, the family's heirs donated the buildings, and a banker funded moving them to the Atlanta Historical Society grounds beside Swan House. Restoration aims to return the house to its original appearance. The buildings matter because plain-style wooden houses are often overlooked and are disappearing, and few tangible traces of Atlanta's frontier years remain.
Significance in brief: The house is a typical example of early Georgia "plantation plain" farmhouse architecture, a modest wooden type that is rapidly disappearing. Its kitchen is believed to be the only surviving detached kitchen in the Atlanta area. The buildings are among the few tangible survivals of Atlanta's pioneer period, predating the founding of Atlanta in 1845, and are being restored for educational use.
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 70000204, listed November 20, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3099 Andrews Dr., NW, Atlanta |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | November 20, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000204 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1835-40; 1970 (19th and 20th centuries) |
| Architect / builder | Robert H. Smith (builder) |
| Architectural style | Plantation plain style |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rated in excellent condition, altered and moved; being restored to its c. 1840 appearance and used as a museum by the Atlanta Historical Society. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.84077, -84.38554 (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 70000204.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7852188
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.