Colbert Historic District
Why it's listed
Colbert is a small railroad town in rural Madison County, Georgia, about ten miles east of Athens. Its historic district preserves the town's core, laid out as a gridiron at right angles to the railroad tracks. The area includes a row of five brick commercial buildings, an 1892 wood-framed depot, the 1892 Glenn Hotel, small warehouses, a livery stable, and a residential neighborhood of mostly one-story late-Victorian cottages. Notable homes include the mid-nineteenth-century Hardman house, the Neoclassical Hampton house of 1906, and the Gaulding farmhouse known as Twelve Oaks, with its commissary. Most buildings date from the 1890s to the 1920s, a period that began with the railroad's arrival in 1892 and ended when the boll weevil damaged the cotton economy. Together, these buildings show how commerce, transportation, housing and farming fit together in a Piedmont railroad town. The district was recognized for its architecture, planning, commerce, transportation and ties to local leaders.
Significance in brief: Colbert is presented as a good representative of Georgia's small, turn-of-the-century Piedmont railroad towns, developed after the railroad arrived in 1892 and before the boll weevil ended the local cotton economy. It retains intact examples of the depot, hotel, stores, homes and farm that illustrate how the town grew. It is significant for architecture, commerce, community planning, transportation and local history.
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 84001154, listed May 31, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by 4th and 5th Sts., 4th and 8th Aves., Colbert |
|---|---|
| County | Madison County |
| Listed | May 31, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84001154 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1890s - 1920s |
| Architect / builder | Multiple builders |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian cottages, with a Neoclassical house (Hampton house, 1906) and a plain-style house |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as a mix of occupied properties in good to fair condition, with few non-contributing buildings such as a new post office, relocated structures, and non-historic houses and mobile homes. |
| Acreage | 46 |
| Coordinates | 34.03578, -83.21021 (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 84001154.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q55607877
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.