Ridgewood
Why it's listed
Ridgewood is a two-story, white weatherboarded plantation house built about 1830-34 on a wooded rise near Upatoi, Georgia. Its Greek Revival character shows in the five-bay front, paired-column portico, broad entablature, hipped roof with cupola, and a central stair hall with four rooms on each floor. The raised basement is unusual in a region where most country houses sat on piers. James Hardwick Jones, a South Carolina native who came from Hancock County, built it. By 1860 his holdings reached roughly 3,000 acres, with seventy-eight slaves producing ninety-one bales of cotton, making him one of the county's leading planters. Only about seventeen acres remain, and nearby subdivisions have changed the setting, yet the house survives largely intact. It is considered the only example of its kind in the area. A barn and other outbuildings remain, and the site may hold archaeological evidence of plantation work.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites it as a fine example of a large but modestly detailed early-nineteenth-century Greek Revival plantation house, with an unusual raised basement for the region. It is also tied to original owner James Hardwick Jones, a major local cotton planter, and has potential for historic archaeological study of plantation outbuildings.
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 80001215, listed April 2, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jenkins Rd., Upatoi |
|---|---|
| County | Muscogee County |
| Listed | April 2, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001215 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (original owner/builder: James Hardwick Jones) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; described as altered, with minor changes made in 1940 and the owners planning restoration. |
| Acreage | 17.2 |
| Coordinates | 32.55629, -84.74146 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 80001215.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134440309
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.