Cooke, Wm. L., House
Why it's listed
This one-story Georgian Revival cottage at 1523 3rd Avenue in Columbus was built for Dr. William L. Cooke, a local physician described as one of the city's most prominent general practicing surgeons. Dating is uncertain: the city directory first lists the address in 1923, while a 1919 trade publication suggests the house had just been completed. The brick house has a square plan, gable roof, two interior chimneys and a central hall with four rooms. Its three-bay front has a central entrance with sidelights, sheltered by a Corinthian-columned portico with a full entablature and a pediment holding a rounded-arch window. Modillioned eaves add further detail. The house is valued as a 1920s take on Georgian Revival design and is described as possibly the most highly detailed example in Columbus. It also reflects the High Uptown neighborhood, once the city's elite district, where the Cooke family lived until the mid-1930s.
Significance in brief: The house is considered significant for architecture as a 1920s interpretation of the Georgian Revival cottage, with Georgian proportions and detailing, especially on its front portico. Addendum material calls it probably the most highly detailed Georgian Revival interpretation in Columbus. It is also significant for local history as the home of a prominent surgeon in the once-elite High Uptown neighborhood.
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 80001210, listed December 2, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1523 3rd Ave., Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Muscogee County |
| Listed | December 2, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001210 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Built by Dr. William L. Cooke; no architect named |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival cottage |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, with a small yard, shrubbery and palmettos. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | High Uptown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 32.47533, -84.98919 (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 80001210.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134438425
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.