Great Hill Place
Also known as: Colaparchee
Why it's listed
Great Hill Place, also called Colaparchee, is a plantation complex near Bolingbroke in Monroe County, Georgia. Its main house began as an early 19th-century plantation plain dwelling. In 1873 railroad executive William Morrill Wadley bought the property for his retirement, and in 1874 he had the house enlarged and Victorianized, with a raised roof, a rear portion and a side wing. The result is a two-story, five-bay, weatherboarded, ell-shaped house with a bracketed central porch and Federal mantels preserved in the older rooms. Surrounding it are a brick smokehouse, a five-hole privy, a brick water tower, a dairy and vault house, a power house, an early frame cottage, barns, boxwood gardens, a pecan-lined lane and two cemeteries. The complex is regarded as one of Georgia's few nearly intact 19th-century plantations, reflecting Wadley's railroad career and the evolution of the house. It remained a working cattle farm, with growth along nearby highways posing a threat.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as one of the few almost perfectly intact 19th-century plantation complexes in Georgia. It was the retirement home of railroad executive William Morrill Wadley, president of the Central Railroad from 1866 to 1882. The main house records the growth from a plantation plain structure to a larger Victorian house with Italianate influence, and the well-preserved outbuildings add to its integrity.
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 73000633, listed July 24, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | W of Bolingbroke off GA 41, Bolingbroke |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | July 24, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000633 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1874-75 (19th Century) |
| Architectural style | Plantation plain house enlarged in Victorian style with Italianate influence |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, altered, on its original site, and an operating cattle farm held in trust by a bank for an estate. The form says it is endangered by commercial growth near highway intersections. |
| Acreage | 350 |
| Coordinates | 32.94446, -83.81777 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 73000633.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85764424
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.