Downtown Waycross Historic District
Also known as: See Also:US Post Office and Courthouse; Phoenix Hotel; Waycros
Why it's listed
Downtown Waycross, in Ware County, Georgia, is a district of about 15 blocks shaped by the railroad. The city plan was laid out in the early 1870s at the junction of two rail lines. Its grid sits at an angle to the tracks, which created triangular blocks, two of them now parks. Most buildings are attached one- to three-story brick commercial buildings with storefronts below and rows of windows above. Larger landmarks include the former U.S. Post Office and Courthouse of 1911, the five-story Bunn Building, the Phoenix Hotel, the seven-story Ware Hotel of 1928, the former YMCA designed by Henry Klutho, two railroad depots, and two churches. Gas stations, garages, warehouses and a 1939 Moderne bus station record the arrival of road travel. The district was recognized for its architecture, its role as the commercial center of a rail hub, and its distinctive railroad-center plan. Its period of significance runs from 1870 to 1942.
Significance in brief: The district is the historic central business district of Waycross and is significant in architecture, commerce, community planning and development, and transportation. Its angled grid plan, which forms triangular blocks beside the rail lines, is cited as an outstanding example of a "railroad center" community type. It also keeps an intact concentration of commercial, governmental, institutional and railroad-related buildings.
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 92000125, listed March 20, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by the Seaboard Coast Line RR tracks and Albany, Isabella, Remshart and Nicholls Sts., Waycross |
|---|---|
| County | Ware County |
| Listed | March 20, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000125 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1870-1942 |
| Architect / builder | Henry J. Klutho; James Knox Taylor, U.S. Treasury Department; G. W. Stone; V. C. Parker |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian (Italianate); Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals (Classical Revival, Late Gothic Revival, Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival, Italian Renaissance); Modern Movement (Moderne, Art Deco) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Mostly still in use. The former post office and courthouse has been restored for retail and office space, the former YMCA is now City Hall, and the Phoenix and Ware hotels are being renovated for retail and housing. The Murson Hotel is vacant. |
| Acreage | 50 |
| Within district | Waycross Historic District |
| Coordinates | 31.20959, -82.36054 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 92000125.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q30622475
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.