Walasi-Yi Inn
Why it's listed
Built of native stone at Neel's Gap, 14 miles south of Blairsville, this one-story inn straddles the crest of the gap on U.S. Highway 129, with the Appalachian Trail passing between its two sections. The Civilian Conservation Corps built it from 1934 to 1938, using stone taken from highway construction and chestnut panelling inside. The northern section began as a wooden tea room and lodging building put up by the Pfister-Vogel Land Company, and it was veneered in stone to match. The land was part of a gift to the State of Georgia by the Vogel family in 1927. The inn was the main work of the CCC camp that developed Vogel State Park, and it was popular from the start, though leased concessionaires never found it financially successful. The nomination presents it as an outstanding example of CCC workmanship, worth recognizing before it reached fifty years of age. Today it houses a craft and hiker's supply shop and a ranger's quarters.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the inn is significant mainly for its architecture and as an outstanding example of Civilian Conservation Corps workmanship. It was the centerpiece of CCC development of Vogel State Park, and the form asks for an exception to the fifty-year rule because of this.
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 79000749, listed January 12, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Blairsville on U.S. 129, Blairsville |
|---|---|
| County | Union County |
| Listed | January 12, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000749 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1934-38 |
| Architect / builder | Civilian Conservation Corps, Camp SP-2, with the U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service |
| Areas of significance | Conservation, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In use as a craft and hiker's supply shop and as lodging for the park ranger; the basement and kitchen are used for storage, and two nearby CCC log cabins are greatly deteriorated. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 34.73521, -83.91742 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 79000749.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7961283
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.