Haywood English Family Log House
Also known as: Big Holly Cabin
Why it's listed
This small log house stands in a wooded clearing off Georgia Highway 115, west of Clarkesville in Habersham County. Built probably in the 1840s, it is a single-pen dwelling of hand-hewn heart-pine logs with full-dovetail corner notching, chinking, a stone end chimney and a wood-shingle roof. Inside, the logs are exposed and the joints are covered with wooden battens. A two-room frame addition from around 1890 was removed during a 1986 restoration, and the house was shifted about 14 feet to protect it from a large holly tree, with its logs numbered and rebuilt. The house is tied to the English family, and Haywood English is the person traditionally credited with building it, though the records leave this uncertain. It was listed for architecture because single-pen log houses were once common but few authentic examples remain in Georgia, many having been enlarged or replaced. It is now used as a museum.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a rare surviving example of a single-pen log house in the northeast Georgia mountains, a once common type linked to pioneer settlement. Its hand-hewn logs, full-dovetail corner notching, chinking and interior wooden battens illustrate early log construction. Few such houses survive in Georgia, so it is judged significant at the state level under Criterion C.
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 91001852, listed December 19, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | GA 115 W of jct. with Habersham Rd., Clarkesville |
|---|---|
| County | Habersham County |
| Listed | December 19, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001852 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1840s |
| Architectural style | Other: Single pen |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in 1986: a c.1890 addition was removed and the house was moved about 14 feet. Current function is listed as museum. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 34.60707, -83.57381 (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 91001852.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q119411169
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.