Hooten, James and Bertha, House
Why it's listed
Two blocks north of the Henry County courthouse in McDonough, this one-story weatherboard house at 115 Atlanta Street was built around 1911 for the family of James Ernest Hooten and his wife Bertha. It follows the Georgian Cottage plan: a central hall with two rooms on each side, plus a rear kitchen room. A steep hipped roof, two brick chimneys and a nearly full-width front porch define its exterior. About 1928 the back porch was enclosed to add a bedroom, bathroom, eating area and storage room. The deed called it a five-room frame dwelling, and local builder J. M. Stroud probably built it. James Hooten was a civic leader who served as mayor in 1932 and 1934. The house is recognized for its architecture, as a well-preserved example of a common Georgia house type with an unpretentious design. It was rehabilitated for law offices in 2006-2007, and the street has shifted from homes to businesses.
Significance in brief: The house is significant locally under Criterion C in the area of architecture as a good, intact example of the Georgian Cottage house type, with a central hall and two rooms on each side. Its original plan, chimneys, front porch, siding, windows and mantels retain a high degree of integrity. It also reflects changes made for a growing family, including a rear ell and a c.1928 porch enclosure.
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 09000327, listed May 20, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 115 Atlanta St., McDonough |
|---|---|
| County | Henry County |
| Listed | May 20, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000327 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1911-c.1928 |
| Architectural style | OTHER: Georgian Cottage |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated in 2006-2007 and now used as a law office; the form says it was previously a private residence, briefly an antiques shop in the 1990s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.45139, -84.14669 (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 09000327.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134382833
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.