McArthur, Willie T., Farm
Why it's listed
Located in the McGregor community of Montgomery County, Georgia, this 175-acre farm was bought in 1893 by Willie T. McArthur and his uncle, Dr. Thomas Lawrence Calhoun. McArthur built a one-story Queen Anne-style house in 1900, with a wraparound porch, turned posts and spindle work, and a central-hall plan. An earlier double-pen house from 1893 became its kitchen and dining room. Around it are a picket fence and domestic outbuildings including a dairy, smokehouse, playhouse and windmill. Farther south are a barn, corn crib, garage, grain elevator, scales building, corner store and three tenant houses. Cotton, tobacco, naval stores, corn, pecans and livestock were all part of farm life. The property is recognized for showing how Georgia farms operated through tenant labor, including African-American tenants such as Joe Bell, and for its intact buildings and working landscape of fields, orchards and woodlots. The McArthur family still farms the land, and the period of significance runs from 1893 to 1962.
Significance in brief: The nomination finds it significant at the state level in agriculture, architecture, landscape architecture and black ethnic heritage. It preserves a largely intact main house, outbuilding clusters, tenant houses and a working landscape typical of Georgia farms in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It also illustrates the tenant farming system that relied on African-American labor.
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 12000382, listed July 3, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 165 McArthur Rd., Ailey |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | July 3, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000382 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1893-1962 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne; Other: double-pen house |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture, Landscape Architecture, Black |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The McArthur family continues to operate the farm, and the main house remains a residence. |
| Acreage | 175.3 |
| Coordinates | 32.20009, -82.50271 (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 12000382.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17066365
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.