Jackson Building
Why it's listed
Rising five stories in downtown Gainesville, Georgia, the Jackson Building was completed in 1915 as an office building with ground-floor stores. It is faced in buff-colored brick with cast-concrete trim, a classical entrance surround, and exaggerated keystones above the upper windows. Behind the modest facade is load-bearing brick and heavy timber construction, and an electric elevator marked it as a modern office building. Atlanta architect S.D. Trowbridge designed it, and Gainesville builder Levi Prater constructed it. Felix Jackson, an entrepreneur with earlier railroad and steamship interests, had it built. Local newspapers called it probably the largest office building between Atlanta and Charlotte. It was the tallest building in the city and housed small shops, professional offices, and the Chamber of Commerce. It was listed for its architecture and its role in the city's early twentieth-century commercial growth. A recent rehabilitation altered much of the interior, though the elevator and first-floor corridor survive.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a good example of the early 20th-century 'tall buildings' found in small, prosperous Georgia cities. It was also a major early commercial venture and the largest, most modern office space in Gainesville. It was built for entrepreneur Felix Jackson and housed shops, offices and the Chamber of Commerce.
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 85001677, listed August 1, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 112 Washington St. NE, Gainesville |
|---|---|
| County | Hall County |
| Listed | August 1, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001677 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1915 |
| Architect / builder | S.D. Trowbridge, Architect; Levi Prater, Contractor |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and recently rehabilitated; the rehabilitation was certified by the National Park Service in October 1984. Many interior walls, doors and finishes were removed or rearranged, and rear windows were filled in. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | Gainesville Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 34.29954, -83.82633 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 85001677.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q65060327
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.