Ware, Clarence R., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1910 on North Perry Street in downtown Lawrenceville, this two-story frame house shows how a small Georgia town adapted the Neo-Classical style. A full-width portico with four Ionic columns, a dentil frieze and a cantilevered second-floor balcony dominate the symmetrical front, while the interior is plainer, with simple woodwork and late-Victorian mantels. Clarence R. Ware, who built it, cleared an earlier house on the site that may have dated to the 1820s and had become a community landmark. Ware lived from 1872 to 1955 and moved to Lawrenceville in 1900 to run its schools. He later served as Gwinnett County School Superintendent from 1907 to 1920 and helped organize the First National Bank of Lawrenceville, becoming its first president. The house is one of only two Neo-Classical residences left in a town that has lost much of its historic architecture, and it is the grandest of the few homes remaining downtown.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of only two Neo-Classical residences remaining in Lawrenceville and a good, largely intact small-town interpretation of the style. It is also significant as the home of Clarence R. Ware, who served twenty years as school superintendent and was first president of the First National Bank of Lawrenceville.
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 82002424, listed June 17, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 293 N. Perry St., Lawrenceville |
|---|---|
| County | Gwinnett County |
| Listed | June 17, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002424 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific date 1910) |
| Architect / builder | Steve Townley, contractor |
| Architectural style | Neo-Classical |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence in fair condition, with few exterior alterations; a rear wood-frame shed and a garage foundation survive. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.95842, -83.99014 (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 82002424.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134360223
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.