Fortson, H. E., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1913 at 221 Richardson Street in Hartwell, this small one-story frame house was the home of the Reverend H. E. Fortson, a minister at Hartwell First Baptist Church, which stood across the street. He also preached at several other Hart County churches and was known as a minister and teacher in the Rome section of Hartwell. The house has a hipped roof with a gabled dormer, a shed-roofed wrap-around porch on simple posts, and an entrance flanked by sidelights. Four rooms open off a central hall, and a rear ell adds two more rooms. Original mantels survive, though the rooms were later paneled and the ceilings lowered in 1970. After Fortson left, the property served as a rental and was acquired by members of the Gaines family in 1947. It was listed for its link to local Black social history and as a surviving example of the modest central-hall houses built for prosperous Black residents of small Georgia towns.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to the Reverend H. E. Fortson, a minister and teacher in the Rome section of Hartwell who served the First Baptist Church and preached at other Hart County churches. It is also a good example of the modest central-hall house built for middle-class Black citizens in the early 20th century. Few examples of this type survive with their major features intact.
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 86002007, listed September 11, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 221 Richardson St., Hartwell |
|---|---|
| County | Hart County |
| Listed | September 11, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002007 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In good condition and used as a residence; interior rooms were paneled and ceilings lowered in 1970. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.35855, -82.92807 (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 86002007.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q55613162
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.