Allen, John Quincy, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1911-12 at 345 East Main Street in Buford, Georgia, this two-story frame house reflects the Georgian Revival style. It has white-painted poplar weatherboard, a Palladian entrance portico with a flower basket-and-garlands relief, French doors, and a side porte cochere. Inside are large rooms, paneled wainscotting, Federal-style mantels, mahogany doors and oak floors. A two-story carriage house with servants' quarters, a circular brick driveway and traces of a formal garden remain on the grounds. The house was home to John Quincy Allen (1880-1967), a son of Bona Allen, Sr., founder of the Bona Allen Tannery, the town's leading industry. He was an officer, shareholder and director of the family company and is remembered for starting the Bona Allen Shoemakers baseball team. His house was one of seven Allen family homes along the railroad, near his father's finer residence. The architect is unknown, though a prominent Atlanta architect may have been involved.
Significance in brief: The house is significant in architecture as a fine domestic example of Georgian Revival, with restrained details and simple arrangement typical of the early twentieth-century reaction to Victorianism. It is significant in local history as the home of John Quincy Allen, son of tannery founder Bona Allen, Sr., in a town closely tied to the Bona Allen family business.
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 84001109, listed January 12, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 345 E. Main St., Buford |
|---|---|
| County | Gwinnett County |
| Listed | January 12, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84001109 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1911-12 |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent and altered; occupied. Grounds are being restored, and the original heating and ventilation systems have been replaced. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 34.12272, -84.00108 (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 84001109.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16159421
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.