Harris-Pearson-Walker House
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Why it's listed
Harris-Pearson-Walker House is a three-story frame building on Broad Street in Augusta, Georgia, noted for its gambrel roof, two-tiered front piazza with chamfered posts, and interior woodwork drawn from 18th century English builder's handbooks. The State of Georgia restored it and opened it as a museum in 1964, first presenting it as Mackay House, a site of the Revolutionary War battle and the Indian trade, and dating it to about 1760. Later research changed that account. The house was built around 1797 by Ezekiel Harris, founder of Harrisburg, and the true Mackay or White House no longer stands. The Pearson-Walker family owned the property from 1809 until 1873. An architectural study by a Colonial Williamsburg researcher placed construction at 1800, give or take five years, and found the house highly valuable architecturally. Its listing rests on that architectural merit and its place in early Augusta history.
Significance in brief: The original nomination presented it as the earliest and best surviving example of American Georgian architecture in Georgia, tied to the Revolutionary War battle at the White House and the 18th century Indian trade. A 1975 amendment found the house is not the Mackay or White House of the battle, but was built about 1797-1800 as the first house in Harrisburg. It was kept as architecturally valuable and renamed for Harris and the Pearson-Walker family.
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 69000052, listed October 28, 1969. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1822 Broad St., Augusta |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond County |
| Listed | October 28, 1969 |
| Reference number | 69000052 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th Century (as checked on the original form) |
| Architect / builder | Ezekiel Harris (builder, per 1975 amendment); restoration directed by Thomas G. Little, then Ernest M. Frank |
| Architectural style | American Georgian; Carolina coastal type with West Indian influence and gambrel roof |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored by the Georgia Historical Commission and opened to the public as a museum in 1964; condition listed as good, on its original site. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Harrisburg-West End Historic District |
| Coordinates | 33.48454, -81.99472 (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 69000052.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134456348
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.