Meredith, Dr. Owen, House
Also known as: Bowers Residence
Why it's listed
This one-story brick bungalow at 605 Benson Street in Hartwell was built in 1923 for Dr. Owen Meredith, a local physician and Emory University School of Medicine graduate. The land had belonged to the Meredith family since at least 1900. Builder C. D. Griffin, who also constructed an early structure at the Hartwell School, is credited with the work. The house is a Craftsman-style design with a low gable roof, a bracketed gabled dormer, and a full-width porch carried on massive brick piers. The porch extends sideways into a porte cochere or car port, a feature that marks it as a product of the twentieth century. Rooms are arranged around a central hall, and the front windows sit in groups of three on either side of the entrance. Two wrought-iron porch posts are the only major alteration. It is recognized locally for its largely intact Craftsman character and for its link to a local builder.
Significance in brief: It is significant architecturally as a good intact example of the Craftsman style, with low horizontal massing under a broad roof, a porch with massive brick piers, exposed rafter ends and brackets. The integral car port marks it as a 20th-century house. It is also associated with local builder C. D. Griffin (spelled Griffith in one place in the form).
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 86002040, listed September 11, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 605 Benson St., Hartwell |
|---|---|
| County | Hart County |
| Listed | September 11, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002040 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | C. D. Griffith |
| Architectural style | Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and used as a residence; the only major changes are two wrought-iron porch posts. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.34498, -82.92547 (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 86002040.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134373901
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.