Guerry-Mitchell House
Why it's listed
Built about 1840 at 723 McGarrah Street in Americus, this one-story frame raised cottage with a full basement follows the Greek Revival style and a four-room central hall plan. It has a hipped roof, a brick foundation, heart pine weatherboard and a porch on all sides with later Victorian fretwork and bracketed posts. Inside are plaster ceiling medallions, simple pilastered mantels, 12-foot ceilings and original paneled doors with their hardware. The house remains on its original site, along with a carriage house and a covered well. James Peter Guerry, a South Carolina native, early Sumter County landowner and state representative in 1841, built it. His son later let it to Beverly Mitchell, a local builder and contractor, who bought it in 1878. The Mitchell family kept it into the 1940s, and H. C. Mitchell served on the city council while living there. Its architecture and ties to local figures support its listing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an excellent example of a Greek Revival raised cottage on a four-room central hall plan that keeps most of its original features and its original location. It is also significant as the home of early landowner and legislator James Peter Guerry and later of builder/contractor Beverly Mitchell and his 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 83000242, listed June 16, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 723 McGarrah St., Americus |
|---|---|
| County | Sumter County |
| Listed | June 16, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000242 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival raised cottage |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; restoration was under way at the time of the nomination, including restoring the basement level. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 32.07985, -84.23759 (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 83000242.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134457555
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.