Oak Avenue Historic District
Why it's listed
Oak Avenue is a small residential district of seven frame houses on a ridge southwest of the Southern Railroad, roughly three-quarters of a mile from downtown Jefferson. The oldest houses date from about 1890 and were built on farm properties by O. K. Hood and Henry Silman. Others followed between about 1900 and 1920, including houses built by the Rev. Sam Kelly, who was a pastor and carpenter. The group includes saddlebag, central hallway, Queen Anne cottage, New South cottage and Queen Anne house types, with modest Colonial Revival and Craftsman detailing. Open lawns, large hardwood trees, stone retaining walls and a lack of sidewalks give the area a rural feel. The district was listed for architecture, because so many intact house types survive in a small area, and for agriculture. Two former tenant houses and several large tracts of fields and woods recall the area's farming past and its gradual change to residential use. One tenant house was moved across the street in the 1960s.
Significance in brief: The district is significant in architecture for an intact collection of modest house types typical of late-19th and early-20th century small-town Georgia, including saddlebag, central hallway, Queen Anne cottage, New South cottage and Queen Anne house. It is significant in agriculture for two surviving tenant houses and remaining open fields that reflect the tenant-farming era. It also shows the shift from farm to residential use.
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 02000564, listed May 30, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S of jct. of Oak Ave. and the Southern RR, Jefferson |
|---|---|
| County | Jackson County |
| Listed | May 30, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000564 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | c.1890-1920 |
| Architect / builder | Sam Kelly |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Craftsman, and vernacular types (saddlebag, central hallway, Queen Anne cottage, New South cottage, Queen Anne house) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | All seven houses are in good condition with a high degree of historic integrity and are still used as single dwellings. |
| Acreage | 35 |
| Within district | Jefferson Historic District |
| Coordinates | 34.11007, -83.57974 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 02000564.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q141769220
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.