Temple, John Roland, House
Also known as: Temple Homestead
Why it's listed
Built in 1892 at 129 Athens Street in Hartwell, this one-story frame house was designed and constructed by John Roland Temple, a Hart County native with no formal construction training, with help from his son Will. It sits on a one-acre lot with pecan trees, a privet hedge and a surviving smokehouse. The house has a gable roof, a rear ell and a central hall plan. Its most notable feature is a full-width Eastlake-style porch with turned posts, brackets, an openwork architrave and sawn balustrade infill. Inside are Doric columns, diagonal wainscoting and period mantels, reflecting later Craftsman influence. Temple ran a sawmill on the Savannah River that supplied lumber for many early Hartwell buildings. His son and seven grandchildren followed him into the building trades as contractors, architects, builders, a painter and an electrical contractor, and they shaped much of the town's Victorian Eclectic and Craftsman architecture. The house remains a residence in good condition.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to the Temple family, who designed and built many of Hartwell's houses and passed the building trades to a son and seven grandchildren. It is also a good local example of Victorian Eclectic design, with Craftsman-style interior upgrades and a distinctive Eastlake-style porch.
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 86002059, listed September 11, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 129 Athens St., Hartwell |
|---|---|
| County | Hart County |
| Listed | September 11, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002059 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | John Roland Temple |
| Architectural style | Victorian Eclectic (Eastlake porch; interior upgraded in Craftsman style) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and in use as a residence. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 34.35005, -82.94124 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
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 86002059.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134379771
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.