Prothro, Nathaniel, Plantation
Why it's listed
Nathaniel Prothro Plantation is a rural farmstead on Old Americus Road, east of Richland in Stewart County, Georgia. Its centerpiece is a one-and-a-half story wood-framed Greek Revival house built in 1851 by Dan E. Ponder of Richland on land the Prothro family acquired in the late 1840s. The house has a pedimented gable porch with four square columns, a central hall plan, and original cast-iron box locks. Surviving outbuildings include a smokehouse, wheat house, cotton gin, stables, well house, and a mule barn. The plantation was the largest in eastern Stewart County in 1860, producing cotton, corn, wheat, sugar cane and vegetables, and later pecans and peanuts. Nathaniel Prothro's family came from South Carolina around 1830, and his son Evan helped bring the railroad to Richland and helped found the Bank of Richland. Its landscaping, including oak and hickory groves and a pecan orchard, also contributes. Possible slave cabin and tenant quarter sites may hold archaeological data.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites significance in agriculture, architecture, historic archaeology, landscape architecture and local history. It was the largest plantation in eastern Stewart County in 1860 and is one of few intact Greek Revival houses with outbuildings in southwest Georgia. It is also tied to the Prothro family, who were active in local civic and financial affairs.
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 85000939, listed May 2, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Old Americus Rd., Richland |
|---|---|
| County | Stewart County |
| Listed | May 2, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000939 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1851-1931 |
| Architect / builder | Dan E. Ponder |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Agriculture, Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied private residence; the form checks occupied and private residence and notes the house has been altered over time. |
| Acreage | 15 |
| Coordinates | 32.10074, -84.64958 (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 85000939.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107001761
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.