Hil'ardin/Sharp-Hardin-Wright House
Why it's listed
Hil'ardin, at 212 South Lee Street in Forsyth, is a columned Neo-Classical house set back on a gentle rise among tall oaks. Inside it survives a two-story frame farmhouse from about 1836, thought to have been built by merchant Cyrus Sharp, whose front rooms, stair, fireplaces and foundation sills remain. In 1916 Hugh H. Hardin had the house enlarged to designs by the architects Dougherty and Gardner, adding a two-story Corinthian portico, a side porch with a porte-cochere, and new wings. A walnut-paneled Georgian library was added in 1966-67. The grounds also changed, gaining curving box-lined drives and a sunken garden. Hardin headed banks, cotton mills, oil and lumber companies and served as mayor of Forsyth from 1914 to 1916. The house is valued as an example of the Neo-Classical homes built by prominent citizens in Georgia towns and as a record of a farmhouse evolving over a century.
Significance in brief: It is significant as an early twentieth century Neo-Classical house, designed in its 1916 remodeling by architects Dougherty and Gardner, that grew out of an early nineteenth century farmhouse. It is also associated with Hugh H. Hardin, a leading businessman and mayor of Forsyth. The grounds evolved from plain rural farmland to a planned, romantic estate landscape.
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 79000735, listed June 22, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 212 S. Lee St., Forsyth |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | June 22, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000735 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Dougherty and Gardner (1916); Matthews, Holliday, Couch and Hollis (1966-67 additions) |
| Architectural style | Neo-Classical (with Federal, Greek Revival and Georgian Revival elements) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence; the form notes later additions in 1966-67 and removal of most outbuildings except the barn and a former servant's house. |
| Acreage | 12 |
| Coordinates | 33.02799, -83.93846 (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 79000735.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q55316107
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.