Franklin Street-College Avenue Residential Historic District
Why it's listed
Several blocks of intact historic houses in eastern Hartwell, Georgia, make up this district along Johnson, Franklin and Howell Streets and College Avenue. It holds 29 contributing and 9 non-contributing buildings, mostly one- and two-story frame houses and small one-story brick homes built from the late 19th century into the 1930s. The largest Victorian Eclectic houses cluster on Franklin Street, which bends where it once served as the main road toward Anderson, South Carolina. Bungalow/Craftsman houses, many tied to the Temple family of builders and architects, are concentrated on Howell and Franklin, while a few brick houses show English Cottage influence. A late-1930s WPA-funded community clubhouse also stands in the district. Residents ranged from working-class servants to a wholesale grocer, a merchant and farmer, and two county ordinaries. The district was recognized for its architecture, its record of early neighborhood development, and its social history, with a period of significance of 1854 to 1941. Ranch houses and small commercial buildings are the main intrusions.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is an intact example of small northeast Georgia town architecture from the late 19th century to World War II, showing Victorian Eclectic, Bungalow/Craftsman and English Cottage styles. It also documents the growth of an early in-town neighborhood from small city farms to a denser urban area, and the 1930s WPA presence in Hartwell. It is also tied to families and individuals important to the town's development.
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 86002011, listed September 11, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Johnson, Maple, Franklin and First, and Carter Sts., Hartwell |
|---|---|
| County | Hart County |
| Listed | September 11, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002011 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1854-1941 |
| Architect / builder | Temple family (builders, building-supplies dealers and architects who built or designed many Bungalow/Craftsman houses in Hartwell) |
| Architectural style | Victorian Eclectic, Bungalow/Craftsman, English Cottage |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Some historic dwellings on Franklin Street now have commercial uses; the rest of the district is residential. |
| Acreage | 20 |
| Coordinates | 34.35181, -82.92855 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 86002011.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q46999914
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.