Poullain, Phillip, House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Set on Penfield Road in Greensboro, Georgia, this two-story frame house was built for Phillip Poullain, probably around 1868. The exact date is uncertain, and the form places construction either between 1853 and 1860 or between 1865 and the mid-1870s. J. O. Barnwell, who designed Greensboro's Church of the Redeemer in 1868 and stayed with Poullain's father during that work, may have been its architect. The house has an L-shaped plan, a three-story tower with a pyramidal roof, a wrap-around porch, bracketed eaves and tall corbeled chimneys. Vinyl siding added in 1980 imitates the original wood siding, which remains underneath. The house is significant as a fully developed example of the Italianate style, which is uncommon in Georgia, where Greek Revival influence dominated before the Civil War and other Victorian styles followed afterward. Fewer than half a dozen Italianate houses stand in Greensboro, and most are modest cottages. The nominated area covers only the drive and the yards around the house.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an excellent and unusual example of mid-19th-century Italianate residential architecture in Greensboro and Georgia. It has the L-shaped plan, three-story tower, bracketed cornices and mixed round- and square-headed windows typical of the style. It is one of fewer than half a dozen Italianate houses in Greensboro, and the style is rare in Georgia.
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 87001448, listed September 9, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Penfield Rd., Greensboro |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | September 9, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001448 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1853-1860, 1865-1875 (best date ca. 1868) |
| Architect / builder | possibly J. O. Barnwell |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence and described as in good condition; vinyl siding was added in 1980 over the original wood siding. |
| Acreage | 8 |
| Coordinates | 33.58480, -83.17798 (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 87001448.
- 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.