Harris, William, Family Farmstead
Why it's listed
Set on 367 acres of piedmont farmland at the northern edge of Walton County, this farmstead centers on a log farmhouse built in the 1820s, probably by William Carr, who assembled the land in 1823. By 1837 the William Harris family, previously of Oglethorpe County, owned it, and descendants have held it since. Around the log house stand later farmhouses built by Harris sons and descendants, two tenant houses, an 1872 schoolhouse, barns, a fieldstone and brick smokehouse, a family cemetery and part of an old county road. The buildings show a shift from hewn logs and pegged rafters to sawn lumber and machine-cut nails. The farm also records changes in Georgia agriculture, from subsistence to cotton and from slave labor to tenancy and sharecropping. Known sites of vanished structures, including slave quarters, a kitchen and a blacksmith shop, suggest archaeological potential. The property was listed for its settlement, agricultural, architectural and archaeological value.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is one of the earliest rural settlements in Walton County and has operated continuously for nearly 150 years. It shows the evolution of piedmont farming from subsistence to cotton, and from slave labor to tenant farming. Its buildings show vernacular construction from handicraft to machine production, and known sites of lost structures give archaeological potential.
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 82002494, listed June 22, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | GA 11, Campton |
|---|---|
| County | Walton County |
| Listed | June 22, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002494 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular plain-style country architecture with Federal, late Greek Revival and Victorian details |
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition rated fair. The log farmhouse and outbuildings have been stabilized and the owner hopes to restore them; the schoolhouse is dilapidated and one tenant house is in poor condition. Some farmhouses and land are rented, and one owner lives on the property. |
| Acreage | 367 |
| Coordinates | 33.89706, -83.72201 (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 82002494.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8010929
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.