Old Market
Also known as: Slave Market
Why it's listed
Open to the air on all sides, this wooden market shed sits in the middle of a mall that divides Broad Street in Louisville, Georgia. Four heavy posts per side hold up a shingled pyramidal roof topped by a cupola with pointed Gothic windows, and a bell hangs in the steeple. A cement floor and new roof were added in the 1950s, though many original timbers survive, reinforced with iron. Local tradition and a plaque date it to 1758, but the nomination's research places construction between 1795 and 1798, after the town was laid out in 1794. Newspapers from 1799 onward advertise sales held there. It was a public market where officials such as the sheriff sold land, town lots, furniture, household goods and slaves. Louisville was Georgia's first planned capital, and this is the only structure of its kind left in the state and one of very few nationwide.
Significance in brief: It is described as the only surviving structure of its kind in Georgia and one of very few in the United States. It served as the focal point of commerce in Georgia's first planned capital. Research shows it was a publicly owned, multi-purpose market for sheriff's and other official sales of land, goods and slaves, not a 1758 slave market as local tradition claimed.
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 78000991, listed February 17, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | U.S. 1 and GA 24, Louisville |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson County |
| Listed | February 17, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000991 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1795-1798 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition marked altered; a cement floor and new roof were added in the 1950s, and original timbers remain but are badly rotted and strengthened with iron. Owned by the City of Louisville. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.00155, -82.41127 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 78000991.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q98547469
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.