Rutledge House
Also known as: Rebel Hall
Why it's listed
Rebel Hall, also called the Rutledge House, is a two-story Greek Revival residence on Bartley Road between West Point and LaGrange, Georgia. Built from 1850 to 1852 by an English builder named Urpe, it originally had a colossal portico of fluted Doric columns on three sides. Inside, a central-hall plan holds eight rooms with ten-foot ceilings, paneled wainscoting and simple mantels. Its most distinctive feature is the "good morning" staircase, whose landing leads to two short flights going in different directions, a form found only occasionally in Georgia. The heavy dentil motif under the eaves is also unusual. Joseph Rutledge, a middle-class cotton planter who owned about forty slaves before the Civil War, lived here until 1892. A retired Army colonel bought and restored the house in 1948 and gave it its current nickname. The nomination presents it as one of the state's foremost Greek Revival houses, though at the time the roof had rotted and the interior had badly deteriorated.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an outstanding example of mid-19th-century Greek Revival architecture and one of the state's foremost examples of the style. It is also noted for its unusual heavy dentil motif and its rare "good morning" staircase, and for its link to cotton planter Joseph Rutledge.
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 77000445, listed August 24, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S of LaGrange on Bartley Rd., La Grange |
|---|---|
| County | Troup County |
| Listed | August 24, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000445 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1850-1852 |
| Architect / builder | Urpe |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as unoccupied and badly deteriorated, with a rotted roof, warped floors and sagging plaster ceilings; the house and five acres were for sale. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 32.93009, -85.07243 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 77000445.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.