Loeb, Sol, Building-Garrett-Joy Building
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Why it's listed
Two brick warehouses stand side by side in downtown Columbus, Georgia, at 901 Broadway and 900 Front Avenue. The Garrett-Joy Building, 1883, was built by Joseph S. Garrett for his wholesale whiskey and tobacco business. The Sol Loeb Building, 1902, was built by the Cargill-Wright Company as a candy plant and syrup refinery. Both are two stories over a basement, with load-bearing brick walls, wood post-and-beam framing, segmental-arched openings and some surviving freight doors. This approach, known as slow-burning construction, was widely used in Georgia mills and warehouses. Over the decades the buildings housed grocers, confectioners, a tailoring firm that grew into the Schwob clothing manufacturer, a hosiery mill, and from 1930 to 1989 the Sol Loeb wholesale grocery company. They were listed for their intact industrial character and for their long role in the commercial life of Columbus. Rehabilitated with a modern stair linking the upper floors, they now hold shops and event space.
Significance in brief: The buildings are good, relatively intact examples of late 19th and early 20th century "slow burning" warehouse construction, with original brick walls, wood posts, ceiling beams and window openings. They are also significant in commerce, having housed a succession of wholesale and manufacturing businesses important to Columbus history, including a whiskey and tobacco wholesaler, a clothing manufacturer, a syrup refiner, a hosiery mill and a wholesale grocer.
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 05000141, listed March 15, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 900 Front Ave. and 901 Broadway, Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Muscogee County |
| Listed | March 15, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000141 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1883-1955 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (the Garrett-Joy Building was built by Joseph S. Garrett; the Sol Loeb Building was built by the Cargill-Wright Company) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both buildings have been rehabilitated and are in commercial use, with retail shops and event space. The Garrett-Joy Building was vacant from 1988 until 1995. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.46299, -84.99362 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 05000141.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134440288
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.