Franklin Light and Power Company Steam Generating Station
Why it's listed
Built in the early 1900s by J. B. McCrary, this brick steam generating station in Hartwell, Georgia, once powered the town and its neighbors. It served the Franklin Light and Power Company and sent electricity to Hartwell, Canon, Lavonia, Bowersville and Royston. The system was sold to the Georgia Power Company in 1916. The building is a plain one-story rectangle with a flat roof, segmentally arched windows with brick voussoirs, simple pilasters dividing the main facade into three bays, and a corbeled brick cornice. Inside is a single open space with a pit in the concrete floor where the generator once sat. The original generator is gone, the windows are boarded over, and the central entrance has been partly filled with concrete block. It is now used for storage. It was listed as the only surviving structure linked to the arrival of electric lighting, appliances, industrial power and street lights in Hartwell, and as a representative small utilitarian power plant.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant in architecture and engineering as the sole surviving structure tied to the introduction of electrical power to Hartwell. It supplied electricity to Hartwell and the nearby towns of Canon, Lavonia, Royston and Bowersville. It is also presented as a good representative example of the small, utilitarian design of such plants, few of which survive in Georgia.
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 86002009, listed September 11, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Leard St. at RR track, Hartwell |
|---|---|
| County | Hart County |
| Listed | September 11, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002009 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architect / builder | Franklin Light and Power Company |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used for storage of outdated equipment; windows are boarded over and no original generating equipment remains. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.35557, -82.94588 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
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 86002009.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.