Bacon-Fraser House
Why it's listed
Built in 1839 and 1840 for Mary Jane Hazzard Bacon, widow of Major John Bacon of Riceboro, this two-story weatherboarded house sits on the edge of Hinesville, Georgia. Hinesville had been laid out in 1837 to replace Riceboro as the Liberty County seat, and this is the only building left in town from that early settlement period. The five-bay house follows the Plantation Plain form, with nine-over-nine windows, louvered shutters, a shed-roofed porch with turned columns, and a raised foundation on Savannah grey brick piers. Inside, a central hall plan has hand-planed mantels, doors and stair rails, curly heart pine floors, and detailed plaster ceilings. The grounds hold live oaks, sycamores, camellias, azaleas and old rose bushes. During the Civil War, outbuildings were burned but the main house was spared and sheltered the elderly, women and children. The Fraser family, including Simon Fraser, a deacon, court clerk and legislator, has owned it for seven generations.
Significance in brief: The house is a well-preserved example of pre-Civil War Plantation Plain vernacular architecture with fine interior woodwork and plaster detailing. It is the only building left in Hinesville that documents the town's early settlement period after 1837. It is also tied to Civil War events during Sherman's March to the Sea and to the locally prominent Fraser family, and its grounds hold 19th-century plantings.
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 85000848, listed April 18, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 208 E. Court St., Hinesville |
|---|---|
| County | Liberty County |
| Listed | April 18, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000848 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1839; 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Mary Jane Bacon (built for) |
| Architectural style | Plantation Plain |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and in use as a private residence; condition marked excellent, with a rear shed room and ell added in 1979. |
| Acreage | 3.5 |
| Coordinates | 31.84826, -81.59351 (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 85000848.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16163451
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.