Hartwell City School
Also known as: Hart County Elementary School
Why it's listed
This school complex on College Avenue in Hartwell consists of a red brick classroom building from 1934 and a gymnasium from 1939. The one-story classroom building is Georgian Revival in style, with a projecting central entrance pavilion, an arched opening framed by concrete Ionic pilasters, and brick laid in English bond. Inside, a cross hall divides the plan into four quadrants of classrooms. The gymnasium has a Doric temple front over its entrance vestibule. It was designed by Luther M. Temple and built with Works Progress Administration support, making it the town's main WPA project. The classroom building was designed by Atlanta architects Daniell and Beutell. Schools have occupied this site since 1888, and these two buildings are the only historic educational structures left in Hartwell. They also reflect Georgia's early twentieth-century move toward consolidated, modern schools. The buildings became an elementary school in 1956 and remain in that use, with only minor alterations.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the complex is an intact 1930s institutional design associated with Atlanta architects Daniell and Beutell. The gymnasium is tied to designer Luther M. Temple and to the Works Progress Administration, and is the community's main WPA project. Together the buildings are the only surviving historic educational structures in Hartwell and reflect a statewide trend toward consolidated, modern schools.
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 86002016, listed September 11, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | College Ave., Hartwell |
|---|---|
| County | Hart County |
| Listed | September 11, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002016 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Daniel & Beutell, Architects; F. H. Turnipseed, Builder (classroom building); Luther M. Temple, designer, with the Works Progress Administration (gymnasium) |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival (classroom building); Neo-classical (gymnasium) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as an elementary school; minor alterations made in 1982, and the form says both buildings keep their identity and integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Within district | Benson Street-Forest Avenue Residential Historic District |
| Coordinates | 34.34961, -82.92884 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 86002016.
- 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.