Highland Hall
Why it's listed
Highland Hall is a Greek Revival raised cottage at 1504 17th Street in Columbus, Georgia, built in 1857 on a lot that was once rural. It has four rooms divided by a central hall, a heavy timber frame covered in white weatherboard, a high brick basement, and a pedimented porch with square columns and a cast-iron balustrade. A two-story rear addition of about 1905 is scarcely visible from the street. The house is considered one of perhaps half a dozen of its type in Columbus and is unusual for its original location outside downtown. It is also the last remnant of a subdivision created by Elizabeth Howard, a young widow who divided a 100-acre tract into ten-acre lots beginning in 1839. The Ellis family, active in Columbus as auctioneers and newspaper editors, bought the lot in 1857 and built the house. Roswell Ellis later married Lizzie Rutherford, remembered for originating Confederate Memorial Day.
Significance in brief: It is a good example of a one-story, four-room central-hall Greek Revival raised cottage, one of perhaps only half a dozen in Columbus and unusual for its original out-of-town location. It is the last remaining vestige of an antebellum subdivision experiment begun by widow Elizabeth Howard. It is also tied to families with local and state social and economic connections.
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 80004459, listed April 1, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1504 17th St., Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Muscogee County |
| Listed | April 1, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80004459 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900- (specific dates 1857 and ca. 1905) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival raised cottage (rear addition in a simple vernacular Craftsman style) |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and altered, on its original site; occupied as a private residence and art studio. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Weracoba-St. Elmo Historic District |
| Coordinates | 32.47842, -84.96805 (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 80004459.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5758779
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.