Knob, Wilkes, Plantation
Also known as: Murph, I. F., Farms
Why it's listed
Wilkes Knob Plantation is a two-story frame house with one-story side and rear additions, set on an 870-acre farm near Marshallville in Macon County, Georgia. Built in 1876 and altered in 1937, it has tall, thin, shuttered windows and an offset door with a transom and sidelights. Foliage hides the house, a garden lies in the rear yard, and frame tenant houses sit across the road while the remaining land is farmed. Ignatious Few Murph, born in 1845 to early Marshallville settlers from South Carolina, built the house in the 1870s and began developing extensive peach orchards nearby. He later led the Elberta Crate Factory, reportedly grown into the largest crate and box factory in the country, held bank offices in Marshallville and Fort Valley, and became president of the Georgia Fruit Exchange. The property is recognized for its plain late nineteenth-century vernacular design and for Murph's influence on the peach industry and the town's commercial growth.
Significance in brief: The house is an example of the vernacular architecture built in Marshallville in the late 1800s, though it is architecturally simple. Its main significance comes from I. F. Murph's role in the commercial peach industry, both as a planter and as a supplier of crates. His financial and commercial dealings also helped Marshallville develop a commercial and financial district in the 1880s and 1890s.
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 80004451, listed November 25, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Rt. 1, Marshallville |
|---|---|
| County | Macon County |
| Listed | November 25, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80004451 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition for the house; the farmed land is in good condition. Used as a residence and farm, with frame tenant houses across the road. Altered in 1937. |
| Acreage | 870 |
| Coordinates | 32.46857, -83.87559 (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 80004451.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107001855
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.