McRae, Max and Emma Sue, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1897 in downtown McRae, Georgia, this two-story frame house was begun by Charles Benton Parker, a local banker and naval stores businessman, as a wedding present for his niece and ward, Emma Sue Griffith, who married lawyer and public official Max McRae in 1898. The house is a Neoclassical Revival design with a monumental two-story portico, square columns, a dentil-molded entablature, one-story side porches and a symmetrical front facade. Inside, it uses a Queen Anne plan rather than the more usual Georgian arrangement, with a large foyer and main staircase, parlor, dining and drawing rooms, and a butler's pantry. Original plaster walls, moldings, hardwood floors and mantelpieces survive. Changes include stucco-over-brick portico columns installed in the 1940s and a compatible two-story rear addition from the 1970s. A garden shed, a 1930s garage and a modern pool share the lot. It was listed for its architecture as an intact local example of its style.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be an excellent and intact local example of Neoclassical Revival architecture in Georgia, with a monumental portico, dentiled entablature, columned side porches and a symmetrical facade. Its interior plan is unusual, using a Queen Anne layout rather than the more common Georgian plan. It also retains original interior finishes.
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 07000087, listed March 1, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 405 S. Second Ave., McRae |
|---|---|
| County | Telfair County |
| Listed | March 1, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000087 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1897 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Neoclassical Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a single dwelling; interior restored by recent owners after a 1970s rear addition and 1940s column replacement. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 32.06501, -82.90026 (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 07000087.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q43080710
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.