Temple-Skelton House
Also known as: Schell Residence
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in 1912 at 201 Athens Street in Hartwell, this one-story frame house began as a Victorian-eclectic design by its owner and builder, John William Temple, who ran the Temple Lumber Company. It has a hipped roof with projecting gables, half-timbered gable ends and an L-shaped porch. After Temple lost the house around 1918, Augustus and Mrs. Skelton acquired it and hired the Temple family to add Craftsman-style changes, including the porch columns, wainscoting, chair rails and tongue-and-groove ceilings. The house is significant for this layering of styles, which mirrors work Temple did on other Athens Street homes. It is also tied to local social history. Temple and his sons built numerous structures in the area, and Skelton helped establish the Ty Cobb Memorial Hospital and the Hartwell Housing Authority in the 1930s. The house remains a residence in good condition, with pecan trees marking its original street boundaries.
Significance in brief: The house shows architectural change from an original Victorian design to a Craftsman-influenced one, and the alterations reflect the design influences J. W. Temple gained from building other Hartwell dwellings. It is also significant in local social history through its first two owners: Temple, a lumber company owner and builder, and Augustus Skelton, who helped establish the Hartwell Housing Authority and the Ty Cobb Memorial Hospital.
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 86002057, listed September 11, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 201 Athens St., Hartwell |
|---|---|
| County | Hart County |
| Listed | September 11, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002057 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | John William Temple |
| Architectural style | Victorian-eclectic with later Craftsman-inspired features |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as being in good condition and in use as a residence; a non-historic garage stands near the rear. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.34969, -82.94123 (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 86002057.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134379638
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.