Bowdre-Rees-Knox House
Also known as: Half Way House
Why it's listed
Southwest of Thomson, between the Old Stagecoach and Wrightsboro roads, stands a raised, one-and-one-half-story weatherboard cottage built soon after 1806 for Thomas Bowdre, a Virginia native, and his wife Ephatha Rees. The couple raised ten children there, and Bowdre later farmed 1,540 acres with forty-four slaves according to the 1827 tax digest. In 1835 the house passed to Vincent Rees, who lived there until 1885; it later went to T.A. Scott and then, in 1907, to Peter S. Knox, whose family kept it. The house retains a heart-pine Federal-style mantelpiece, paneled wainscoting, pine floors and a brick-floored basement. Additions include two front bedrooms, a rear shed and a 1974 deck. The Belle Meade Hunt Club uses it as a club center and calls it the Half Way House. It was listed for its local architectural and historical importance, its early raised cottage form, and possible archaeological value tied to Wrightsboro.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is locally significant for its architecture and history. It is described as one of the earliest and best preserved examples of the raised cottage type in Georgia, with most fine interior details intact. Its site is tied to the former Quaker township of Wrightsboro and may hold archaeological potential.
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 79003109, listed January 19, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Thomson on Old Wrightsboro Rd., Thomas |
|---|---|
| County | McDuffie County |
| Listed | January 19, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003109 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Raised cottage |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Renovated in 1974 for use by the Belle Meade Hunt Club as an entertainment and club center; condition described as well preserved in its original setting. The form's status box appears marked unoccupied. |
| Acreage | 5.2 |
| Coordinates | 33.53830, -82.54771 (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 79003109.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.