Peabody-Warner House
Also known as: Peabody-Swift-Warner House
Why it's listed
This brick cottage at 1445 Second Avenue in Columbus, Georgia, was built around 1840 by attorney Philip Thomas Schley at what is now First Avenue and Tenth Street. It was carefully dismantled to make room for the First Presbyterian Church and rebuilt by Col. Seaborn Jones as a speculative venture. The Greek Revival house has a hipped roof with two chimneys at each end, a small portico with wooden Ionic columns, and a walnut front door with a fanlight that retains its original glass. Walls are one brick's length plus one brick's width thick. Eudoxus Swift later added two rooms and a porch at the rear. The house is tied to George Foster Peabody, who lived there as a child and became a noted financier and philanthropist. Charles A. Warner, a Confederate Navy engineer, later owned it. A 1954 plaque commemorates Peabody's residence. The nomination also notes it is the only significant house left in its block.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites the house's association with George Foster Peabody, later a financier and philanthropist, whose family lived there briefly. It also notes ownership by Charles A. Warner, Chief Engineering Officer of the Confederate Navy, and the house's architectural character. It is described as the only significant house remaining in its block and as endangered by urban blight.
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 70000213, listed December 29, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1445 2nd Ave., Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Muscogee County |
| Listed | December 29, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000213 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date c. 1840) |
| Architect / builder | Built by Philip Thomas Schley; rebuilt by Col. Seaborn Jones |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Education, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good; occupied and used as a private residence. The house has been altered, including rear additions and a reduced basement. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 32.47409, -84.99081 (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 70000213.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134398118
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.